18th-century landmark to reopen after multi-million pound investment

18th century grade I-listed building The Piece Hall in Halifax is set to reopen following a multi-million pound investment

The Georgian building has now been transformed into a contemporary leisure and retail site, following a £7m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as funding from Calderdale Council and the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation.

Halifax-born British wheelchair racer and Paralympian Hannah Cockcroft MBE will ring The Piece Hall bell to mark the start of trading, echoing the first ever day of business in 1779.

It features a 66,000 sq ft open-air piazza with a capacity for 7,500, surrounded by a mix of independent bars, shops and cafés. the opening marks the culmination of an ambitious three-year transformation project delivered by Calderdale Council and designed by LDN Architects.

Nicky Chance Thompson, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, an independent charity formed to manage The Piece Hall, commented: “For anyone that has yet to experience The Piece Hall, it’s not easy to get across the scale and grandeur of the place.

“It brings to mind Covent Garden’s ‘Floral market’ with a grand courtyard that is reminiscent of Somerset House, combined with magnificent Italian-style architecture.

“Given the phenomenal 200-year history of the building and scale of the transformation, it’s incredible that until now, it has been one of the North’s best kept secret, but that’s all about to change.”

Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s deputy leader, said: “The transformation of Halifax’s magnificent Piece Hall is now complete and we’re looking forward to hearing people’s reactions as they see the impressive changes for the first time on Yorkshire Day.

“Yorkshire Day will mark the Council’s handover of the building to the independent Piece Hall Trust, who have really exciting plans for its future. We’re confident that people from Calderdale and beyond will be visiting this 21st century heritage destination time and time again in the years to come”.

Ros Kerslake, chief executive at the Heritage Lottery Fund, added: “The Piece Hall and its courtyard are pivotal players in the history of Halifax and West Yorkshire. Our investment of £7m of National Lottery players’ money has been integral to its redevelopment and means that it can be enjoyed much more widely than before. Whilst it’s lost none of its character as a vibrant 18th-century trading place, it’s now a much more welcoming civic space where people will be able to work, meet, learn and relax.”

The completion of The Piece Hall marks a dynamic new chapter for the town which has recently seen £40m investment into major cultural facilities.

A new east extension at The Piece Hall provides facilities for a three-story restaurant and cocktail bar and links through to Square Chapel Arts Centre which recently opened a new £6.6m extension featuring a new theatre, cinema and café bar.

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