Anthony McGrath and Jonathan Bairstow joined two Leeds Met students today to put the final bolt in the structure of the Carnegie Pavilion.

Anthony McGrath and Jonathan Bairstow joined two Leeds Met students today to put the final bolt in the structure of the Carnegie Pavilion.

Jonathan, a Leeds Met student himself, joined Anthony to help to tighten the bolt on the highest truss tip of the canopy at top of the Pavilion as part of a symbolic ceremony to mark the progress of the structural work on the project.

The £21m Carnegie Pavilion, designed by renowned architect Will Alsop, will replace the existing YCCC media and player facilities in the Rugby Stand at Headingley Carnegie. It will also provide office space for YCCC staff and opportunities for matchday hospitality and events. It will enable the venue to continue to host international fixtures in season's to come.

The Pavilion will operate as a University teaching facility during the academic year. Tourism, Hospitality, Events Management, Media and Journalism students will use the building to experience professional teaching environments and enjoy unrivalled practical experience.

Opportunities are currently available for cricket lovers to purchase debenture seats in the Carnegie Pavilion which will allow them unrivalled views of all international and domestic fixtures played at Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground, plus many other additional benefits. For further information on how to become a debenture holder CLICK HERE. 

Bairstow, Regan, Willis, Graves, Bouttell, Smith,  Moxon, McGrath and Page after the Topping Out  ceremony

The Pavilion is due for completion in June 2010 ready to host the Test Match between Pakistan and Australia between 21 and 25 July. This will be the second and final Test in the first neutral series to be held in this country.

Stewart Regan, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said: “The Pavilion has been rising quickly at the Kirkstall Lane End and we cannot wait to move in as it is going to be a tremendous addition to the Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground. The facilities available to the Club and Leeds Met will be first-class and quite literally cements a partnership between the two organisations that has provided successful results for many years.”

Dr Geoff Hitchins, Chief Executive of Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "The new development provides first class facilities for both the University and Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Our students will be studying in a state-of-the-art environment and learn through unrivalled practical experiences at the many events held at the stadium. This completes a massive programme of recent redevelopment at the University which has totally transformed our students’ learning environments."

The construction of the Carnegie Pavilion will cost £21m and is being undertaken by BAM Construction Ltd. The project has been supported by Yorkshire Forward, Leeds City Council, HSBC, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Sport England.