Restored historic city landmark unveiled for the first time
Removal of scaffolding surrounding Hull’s Burton building has revealed the grandeur of the city’s 1930s landmark.
Regeneration specialist Wykeland Group is delivering the restoration of the art deco building.
Once completed, the building, now called Burton House, will offer 12,700 sq ft of city centre space, set over five floors.
Central to the project is the replacement of much of the building’s granite cladding. Replacement granite has been sourced from the same quarry in Norway, to match the geographical origin of the original stone.
Art deco windows have been replaced, with new signage to be installed.
Restoration of Burton House is the latest significant city centre regeneration project led by Wykeland.
Jonathan Stubbs, development director at Wykeland, said: “There has, unsurprisingly, been a huge amount of excitement and anticipation surrounding the regeneration of the Burton building.
“As one of the best-known landmarks in Hull, we’ve approached this project with a great deal of care and sympathy.
“With the scaffolding now removed, and the restored exterior of the building revealed, people can envisage how Burton House will transform the entrance to Whitefriargate.
“As the project has progressed, we have had growing levels of interest from potential leisure and retail occupiers of the ground floor and basement accommodation, looking to make the most of this rare opportunity to move into a prime, regenerated city centre space.”
On the upper floors, work has seen the original lift refurbished, and work is progressing on creating spaces for businesses.
The scheme is being supported by £750,000 from the Levelling Up Fund Grant Scheme, allocated by Hull City Council to support regeneration in the city, with a further £450,000 grant from Historic England.
Wykeland has worked with Hull City Council’s Conservation Officer and Historic England.
Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, council portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “It’s wonderful to see Burton House being rightly restored to its former glory.
“For people visiting the city centre, it is a symbol of the wider regeneration of Hull which simply could not happen without companies like Wykeland.
“Hull City Council will continue to work with Wykeland on the broader rejuvenation of Whitefriargate, alongside other key sites in the city.”
A proposed retail or restaurant area on the ground floor will offer 2,400 sq ft of floorspace, with the basement providing 1,600 sq ft of useful back-of-house space.
The first, second and third floors each cover 2,500 sq ft, and are suited for office and wider commercial uses.
The Burton fashion empire was founded by Montague Burton, a Lithuanian who arrived in England in 1900.
The business started in South Yorkshire and, in 1931, Mr Burton bought Nos 34 and 35 Whitefriargate – in those days a chemist shop and a small brewery – for £9,000.
Plans to demolish the existing shop and construct a new building were approved in 1935 and the current art deco property – designed by chief architect Henry Wilson – opened in December 1936.
When Burton owner Arcadia Group went into administration in 2020, the store closed its doors and the building has been empty ever since. Wykeland acquired the site in 2021.
