Work underway on £6m revamp of city centre building

Work is now well underway on the redevelopment of King William House in Hull city centre.

The £6m project will see the 1970s former office building transformed into brnad new apartments above an arcade of retail units, complete with a modern new façade.

Construction company The Broadley Group is working alongside a York-based property syndicate to deliver the schemet, which has been designed by Leeds-based Brewster Bye Architects.

King William House sits on the corner of Market Place and Liberty Lane at the centre of Hull’s Old Town conservation area.

The whole building will be re-clad in materials and colour palettes, whilst still featuring areas of glass that will generate dynamic reflections of the Grade-I Listed Hull Minster.

The work, which is due to complete in summer 2019, will see the first, second and third floors of the building transformed into 30, one and two-bedroom apartments.

In addition, an arcade of nine retails units will be created on the ground floor that fronts onto Market Place. The façade along Liberty Lane will also be opened up with inviting entrances to encourage more pedestrian footfall into the quiet side street.

Ian Campbell, managing director at Broadley, said: “This building had largely sat empty in recent years, which is a shame for such a significant and prominent city centre asset, so it’s hugely rewarding to be on site creating a new lease of life for it.

“We’re currently stripping the building back internally and carrying out a wide range of repairs, before we start refurbishing and re-cladding it, which will ensure it enjoys a new, successful and sustainable future.”

Chris Austin, managing director at Brewster Bye Architects, added: “Although King William House was once a modern office building that was originally designed to stand out and make a statement, more than 40 years on it had become tired and looked very dated.

“As well as creating a fantastic selection of homes and retail outlets, our design will give the building a fresh and modern appearance that is much more sympathetic to its surroundings and Hull Minster, which is one of the city’s most significant buildings.

“It’s really pleasing to see our designs coming to life and there’s no doubt it will greatly improve the local streetscape and Hull’s Old Town conservation area as a whole.”