Dating from the 15th century, with a prominent position on the north bank of the River Ouse this project involved the refurbishment and remodelling of the Grade I, II* and II listed York Guildhall complex.
The complex consists of the Guildhall, council chambers, offices and a newbuild riverside restaurant unit. The site was extremely restricted with no road frontage and utilised the river to aid construction logistics.
The project required substantial foundation underpinning to arrest building movement, adaptions to the listed fabric, and design of complex interfaces between new and existing structures. The team showed great care in their interventions, and less than 10% of the existing structure was removed. New build areas were carefully considered and limited in scope.
The team made good use of digital techniques to visualise and plan their works on this complex site, demonstrating the benefit such technologies can have in retaining and extending the life of existing assets.
The project has provided enriched and inclusive spaces for members of the local community to use, allowing the historic building to serve a new and flexible purpose as part of the city’s future legacy.