The car park which was the setting for an infamous scene in cult Michael Caine film ‘Get Carter’ is being illuminated by Gateshead Council and lighting experts R&B Group before it makes way for exciting new developments in Gateshead town centre.

The Trinity Square multi storey car park in Gateshead town centre is being lit between the hours of 9pm and 11pm until April 26. This will be the last opportunity to see the car park bathed in light before it is closed and demolished to make way for new developments by Spenhill, the regeneration arm of Tesco, which will transform Gateshead’s central area.

Gateshead Council director of communities and culture David Bunce said: “Whilst the car park must make way for the redevelopment of Gateshead town centre, we do not believe that its passing should be unmarked. The car park has become part of Gateshead folklore and has dominated the skyline of Tyneside for 30 years.

“We know that everyone has a view on the car park and its brutalist architecture so we want to provide one last chance to see the structure in the night sky before it has to make way for redevelopment.”

The lighting installation is powered by three generators and uses half a mile of cable. A total of 61,000 watts of light is beamed from the car parks lower level to illuminate the whole building in a vivid red glow with animated white lighting on the roof top. The lighting is being carried out by the R&B Group, project Manager, Paul Borthwick said: "It's fantastic to be involved with the project. The car park is such an iconic building."

Spenhill, which is the wholly owned regeneration subsidiary of Tesco, is currently developing plans for Trinity Square that will bring new life to Gateshead town centre. Key changes could include leisure and community facilities, student accommodation, a new Tesco store, shops, cafes and restaurants, a hotel and town centre car parking.

The outgoing Trinity Square complex was first mooted in 1960 and the £1 million development including a multi storey car park with roof top restaurant was approved by Gateshead Council in April 1961.

The £200k multi storey car park was designed by post war architect Owen Luder. The car park is an example of Brutalist architecture – raw exposed concrete defining the character of the building and its exterior.

The car park became a part of modern film folklore when it was used in the 1971 Get Carter film and is commonly known as the ‘Get Carter Car Park’. Michael Caine threw Bryan Moseley off one of the top levels.