A new multi-purpose public arts venue, which is currently under construction in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, is to be called The Apex.

St Edmondsbury Borough Council (SEBC) met on 29 July to approve the new name for the venue, which is scheduled to open in 2010, will incorporate a multi-purpose auditorium with a 500-seat capacity for theatre performance and seminars and standing capacity for 700 people for concert performances. Space for up to 350 people for wedding receptions and dinner dances will be provided, while two balconies, full backstage support facilities and a modern floor and seating system, will be installed at the venue.

Watford-based construction company, Taylor Woodrow, was responsible for building the exterior structure of The Apex, which has been designed by Hopkins Architects, while Stowmarket-based Haymills has been appointed to carry out the interior fit-out of the venue. Lynsey Alexander, vice chair of SEBC's Public Venue Working Party, said: "The tower at the front of the venue has a triangular top to it, and the soaring roof inside also suggests the shape of an apex. But it's not just the physical shape which lends itself to the name - The Apex represents an aspiration for high quality and peak performance as well."