A redesign to the facade of the Cole Brothers building has been approved by Historic England, which previously expressed concern over a lack of historical preservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Historic England, the body responsible for listing and preserving significant buildings in the UK, said in a letter to Sheffield City Council that it has “no objection to the applications on heritage grounds”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Urban Splash, an architectural firm based in Manchester that operates all over the country, submitted their original plans for a renovation of the Grade II listed building in September. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These plans aim to turn the former department, store built in 1963, into a mix of flexible workspaces, cafes, leisure spaces, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Council consulted with Historic England and the Twentieth Century Society (C20) on the original plans to ensure the essence of the original building is preserved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both organisations expressed concerns with the design, most of all the main facade, due to the extent of the changes, which the C20 society called “unnecessary”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These changes concerned how the design replaced the existing darker mosaic tiles which are in a state of disrepair, with perforated panels intended to replicate the current look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, a redesign submitted on 12 February changed the proposals for the main face of the building, taking on board advice on how to better preserve the post-war architecture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n