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PROJECT REPORT: HERITAGE & HISTORIC
This re-use of the structure shows the flexible qualities which are inherent to the building, and which have been harnessed by the architects to provide a commercial boost for Shrewsbury in future decades
steel stair and lift core, an original iron column, and some large pieces of factory machinery on display. It is an airy space (partly from the fact that only the enclosed reception area is heated), and a timber-lined ceiling, low lighting and unfinished walls increase the sense of theatre, while tying into the lean approach taken elsewhere in the design.
PROJECT FACTFILE
Architect: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Client: Historic England Contractor: Croft Building Conservation Structural engineer: AKT II GIA: 9000 m²
In the tenanted workplace areas, walls are limewashed, but their original character strongly remains. Comfort is increased, alongside the natural ventilation and largely natural lighting, but the fabric is insulated reflecting the fact that tenants are paying for the space. In the first floor, which the architects fitted out, there are a row of enclosed glazed offices, but there is the possibility for cross-ventilation across the whole space. Greensmith says: “We enjoyed this opportunity to challenge the brief and look at whether we could avoid generic new build solutions, this was the opportunity to ‘zoom out’ and take a pragmatic and logical view on where to spend the money.”
Programme & build
On the ground floor is the museum, which tells the story of the mill’s role in the Industrial Revolution as well as in
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subsequent world architecture, including an original iron truss on display, along with a cafe open to the public. Above are four floors of flexible office space that will provide accommodation for around 360 people. There is also circulation and meeting space within the kiln for commercial tenants, as well as access for visitor tours to the restored Jubilee Tower. “We pushed for public access to all the ground floor buildings,” says Greensmith, as part of meeting the client’s goal of increasing engagement. The open circulation space provides routes through the buildings, and views in: “It’s wonderful, the kids coming home from school take a short cut through the site.” In addition to using the ground floor cafe and museum to bring in people and revenue, guided tours are held to the top of the timber tower to survey the whole site and far beyond. He says that the challenge of navigating between heritage and commercial considerations in terms of the workplace floors focused around potential subdivision of floors, as “post-Covid, people don’t want to work in big open plan floors.” He says that the designers “always knew we needed a mix; including smaller units for SME and innovative start-up businesses.”
ADF FEBRUARY 2024
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