PROJECT REPORT: HERITAGE & HISTORIC 33


H


eritage restoration projects rarely have a more architecturally resonant backstory. Feilden Clegg


Bradley Studios’ mammoth ‘creative reuse’ scheme brings Shrewsbury’s Grade 1 listed former flaxmill a vibrant new identity, as high-quality co-working spaces, plus a museum detailing its rich history. More importantly, working with client Historic England they ensured an enduring life for the building by repairing and supporting its pioneering but increasingly precarious 225-year old iron structure, harnessing its qualities for new uses.


It is another great example of architects celebrating existing structures and giving them a new context, and celebrating both. It’s also unusual, as an example of a national organisation


ADF FEBRUARY 2024


working in partnership with a local community as joint custodians of a major architectural landmark.


The first phase of the refurbishment is the main building, which was converted into a maltings in the mid-20th century, and is known as the ‘grandparent of the skyscraper,’ despite only standing five storeys high, due to its cast iron frame. Flax milling carried a near-constant fire risk due to the combination of the steam-powered machinery, the airborne dust from the flax itself, and exposed flames, and the timber- framed buildings in which it took place were often destroyed by fire.


In 1796 a surveyor and wine merchant, Charles Bage, was commissioned to design a fireproof mill, having already been exploring the possibility of using cast iron


STILL IN THE FRAME


The late 18th century structure was iron-framed to drastically reduce fire risk from the flax milling process, and it has been left exposed in the new workspaces


WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84