The refurbishment of this historic and beloved former department store will complement and expand on the success of Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City regeneration project by rethinking how a significant heritage building can serve the city in the 21st century.
The proposals mark a significant step in bringing this well-known building back to life, fostering economic growth and creating a vibrant hub for local residents, workers and visitors. The scheme will transform the building into a mixed-use space, integrating leisure, entertainment and retail space on the lower and ground floors, with office workspace areas on the upper floors and reopening substantial areas of the building for the public, including the basement and former loading bay which are being re-imagined into active, new cultural destinations within the building.
An enhanced ground floor will create a more open and welcoming interface between the building and the public realm, activating the surrounding streets and creating a diverse groundscape with increased permeability. The introduction of a three-floor tiered atrium draws natural light deep into the centre of the building, improving occupant wellbeing and visual connection between the flexible office floorplates. Whilst a new roof top public venue and external terrace provide external amenity for both occupants and visitors alike, activating the roof as a destination and extending activity beyond street level.
A key principle of the proposals is the careful retention and re-use of the existing building fabric, preserving the superstructure, external envelope and, where possible, a proportion of the internal partitions, while balancing the building’s historic value with the standards expected of a contemporary workplace and public destination.
