On Wednesday the 18th October the Nazrin Shah Centre for Worcester College in Oxford was officially opened by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and HRH Sultan Nazrin. The opening ceremony included musical and theatrical performances by Worcester students in the Tuanku Bainun auditorium, a speech by the Sultan and the unveiling of the dedication plaque by The Duchess.
Niall McLaughlin Architects and Purcell have won the competition to transform Auckland Castle in County Durham into a national museum of religion and religious art. The former historic home of the bishops of Durham, the castle is considered to be the third most historically significant ecclesiastical complex in Europe, after the Vatican and Avignon. Auckland Castle was bought by businessman and philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer who aims to turn it into a major visitor attraction and heritage site in the North East. The client hopes to receive funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund in support of the project and set up the Auckland Castle Trust to oversee the restoration and development of the castle and grounds. The central attraction will be the rare paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán, considered to be some of the most significant religious treasures in Europe and part of the castle’s history for more than 250 years.