Jewellery Quarter restoration scheme completes
Restoration works at the Grade II listed Argent Centre in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter have been revealed after a year long project.
Built in 1862 as a pen factory for Mr W E Wiley, the building is now owned by Midlands Industrial Association which took on the building in 1984 and developed it to provide managed workspace for businesses as part of ongoing regeneration work.
The building is also home to the Pen Museum which is dedicated to honouring and celebrating Birmingham’s 19th Century steel pen trade.
In 2020, a restoration scheme began, led by the owners and grant aided by the JQ Townscape Heritage programme, a National Lottery Heritage Fund scheme.
Oliver Architecture and contractors Midland Conservation delivered the scheme alongside other Midlands based conservation crafts people including Jewellery Quarter- based Nick Bayliss of Architectural Glass who repaired the windows on the property.
Specialist conservation works included repairs of the stone and brick work. In addition to the restoration of the frontages on Frederick Street and Legge Lane, work was carried out to ensure the building was made wind and watertight with comprehensive repairs carried out to the roof and extensive repointing.
Midlands Industrial Association Ltd said: “We’re committed to the conservation of our buildings and we believe this project to be a shining example of what can be achieved. MIA are delighted with this phase of our work to develop this iconic Jewellery Quarter building into a space that businesses can feel proud to operate from. This significant investment in the building will safeguard it for years to come.”
Luke Crane, executive director of the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT), said: “The investment from the owners and the JQTH programme has had a significant impact on improving this key gateway building into the Jewellery Quarter’s Industrial Middle. The scheme not only benefits the businesses operating from the Argent Centre, it also makes a significant improvement to the streetscape and preserves and enhances the quality of the Jewellery Quarter’s historic buildings, which are an intrinsic part of the area and help make it such an attractive place for businesses, residents, and visitors.”
The JQ Townscape Heritage Project is a four-year programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The programme is supported by JQBID, with additional funding from Birmingham City Council, Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP and Historic England.
