Tunsgate Quarter Guildford, the 80,000 square foot retail, leisure and dining destination located in the heart of Surrey’s county town, has announced that one of the UK’s leading fine art organisations, Buckingham Fine Art, will be joining the scheme, opening its doors to SOHO FINE ART on 12th April 2021.
Established publisher and promoter for some of the country’s most talented artists, Buckingham Fine Art has chosen to open its first ever gallery in the covered shopping centre, offering customers the opportunity to browse original and high quality limited edition artwork from both emerging and established published artists in person. The company’s mission is to democratise the art business and demystify the buying and collecting of art. It represents a diverse range of collectable contemporary painters on its Fine art, Classic, and Contemporary labels.
Tunsgate Quarter is home to top lifestyle brands including The White Company, Nespresso, OKA and Bobbi Brown, attracting customers from a wide Surrey catchment. The SOHO FINE ART gallery will open in a prime location within the central atrium area of the beautiful art deco building, and will house a private viewing room as well as the curated gallery space at the front of the unit. Social distancing will be maintained at Tunsgate Quarter upon re-opening in April, and the positioning of the gallery allows for an easy and spacious queuing system should the need arise.
Claire Suggitt, Centre Manager, Tunsgate Quarter, comments: “We are absolutely delighted to be announcing the arrival of a new tenant as we plan our April re-opening. SOHO FINE ART will be a new and engaging addition to our retail mix, and an offering that will resonate brilliantly with our core customer at Tunsgate Quarter. Continued Suggitt: “Never has there been a year more challenging for retail, and the decision of Buckingham Fine Art to open its new gallery gives us hope of a bright and more physically interactive future.”
Commenting on this exciting new venture, Jonathan Kearns CEO of Buckingham Fine Art says: “We are thrilled to launch SOHO FINE ART in Tunsgate Quarter. It offers unrivalled space and design with complementing retail and hospitality, and provides an excellent platform for our award-winning portfolio of talented contemporary painters. We look forward to bringing great art, events and a post lockdown sense of artistic optimism to this superb centre!”
Owned by Merseyside Pension Fund and asset managed by CBRE, Tunsgate Quarter opened in 2018 and offers a desirable range of high-end retail brands including Seasalt, Design Vintage and Loaf. Boutique gym operator GU1 Fitness fulfils the centre’s leisure option, supporting Tunsgate Quarter as an all-day destination with its gym and studio. The acquisition of SOHO FINE ART gallery was managed by lettings agent AS Retail.
AS Retail Director, Andrew Shepherd, comments: “After an extensive search we are delighted that Buckingham Fine Art has chosen Tunsgate Quarter for the location of its first gallery. We are confident that SOHO FINE ART will complement the superb existing tenant mix and we’re looking forward to seeing the stunning gallery opening very soon.”
Continued Shepherd: “We will be making further exciting announcements shortly about additional brands joining the line-up at Tunsgate Quarter, but we do have leasing opportunities remaining, so please do get in touch with myself, or my joint agents BGP, to discuss availability.”
Tunsgate Quarter forms the heart of a £30.3 million redevelopment of Guildford’s historic Tunsgate area, and borders the cobbled High Street and the 11th century castle, as well as the pedestrianised Tunsgate with its collection of independent retailers.