Planners in harmony with music school in listed building

Sheffield’s Harmony Works project has passed another milestone with the approval of its planning and listed buildings application, taking it a step closer to creating a new home for music education in the city.

The plans will see the Grade II* listed Canada House on Commercial Street converted into a state-of-the-art music facility.

The building will have a variety of teaching and rehearsal rooms, community spaces, a publicly accessible café, and a renovated performance space in the glass-domed hall.

Last year, Sheffield City Council secured £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up fund to transform the Castlegate area, which included establishing Harmony Works.

£1.6m will be granted to Harmony Works by the council to acquire the empty Canada House building, which was built in 1875.

The Harmony Works team project team has included Evans Vettori Architects, Arup, Turner and Townsend, BWA, Creative Heritage and Hepworth Acoustics.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, co-chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “We’re so pleased to have been able to work with Harmony Works to secure Levelling Up funding which will create a highly valued resource in the city, and the wider region.

“As a city known for producing many musical talents, access to music facilities is so important to us.

“Harmony Works will be an incredible asset to us all, especially younger generations. It is also fantastic to see the impressive Canada House building will soon be restored and inhabited again.”

Emily Pieters, director of Harmony Works, said: “Our planning consent is a testament to the hard work of the Harmony Works partners and team and to the thoughtful and environmentally sensitive approach the design team have taken with this fantastic building.

“We’re looking forward to making these designs a reality, and for children and young people throughout the region to have a place to call their musical home.”