Location; Hull
Photographer; Octavision Media
Completion Date; 2024
The Grade II Listed Burtons Building in Hull, constructed in the 1930’s is a prominent landmark in the centre of Hull with its imposing Emerald Pearl Granite façade. Following the collapse of the Arcadia Group the building was left redundant and after being acquired by Wykeland the focus was on its repair and restoration due to extensive visible cracking and apparent failure of the granite. Exploratory testing revealed that the 40mm thick panels were fixed to the masonry skin beneath with a cementitious layer and the imposed weight of the panels above had caused micro fractures which would necessitate new panels for over 60% of the façade. Historic England’s approach to building repair advocates a preference of reuse but due to the extensive damage and to avoid a checkerboard effect repair (where new panels would be adjacent salvaged) it was agreed to replace the entire façade with the same thickness of granite from the quarry in Norway where the granite had been originally sourced.
THE BURTONS BUILDING
At planning stage it was provisionally proposed to use a hand-set fixing system to reduce the cavity between the back face of the granite and the masonry structure because the building’s Art Deco façade utilised extensive relief detailing – notably around window reveals and on its prominent corners. However, following detail investigation of the panel sizes and the impact of this on their loading capacity it became apparent that a hand-set approach would necessitate the panels to be reduced in size which would have a significant impact on the appearance of the building and its proportions which was strongly opposed by Historic England. Having discounted a rainscreen approach due to the impact of losing the relief details on the elevation due to the greater increase of cavity depth required for a rainscreen, this was the only fixing method available to allow the new panels to match the proportions and size of the original. Through engagement with Historic England it was agreed that it would be more harmful to the character of the building to change the panel sizes than to lose some of the relief detail and it was agreed to move forward with the Aztec system – the first time a rainscreen system has been approved for use for a listed building.
Having agreed the principal approach to the main façade with the rainscreen system, each junction was then carefully reviewed – window reveals, corner junctions etc to see if we could still incorporate the relief detailing in conjunction with the Aztec system – ‘could we have our cake and eat it too’. The result was a hybridised approach to the installation works – the rainscreen was terminated at window reveals and corners and a hand-set system implemented for the remainder. This approach in conjunction with ‘specials’ – profiled granite elements – effectively recreated the original proportions and details of the historic façade and features such as the granite fascia band above the ground floor shopfront acted as a datum plinth for the panels above to terminate against, which successfully disguised the additional depth of the new façade fixing system.
Internally, the building will be sensitively restored to create a restaurant at ground floor and the original kiosk to Alfred Gelder Street reinstated. The kiosk retains many of its original features acting as a touchstone to the buildings historic past including its inlaid mosaic floor, bronze awing framework and curved glass fascia band. The modern shopfront that wrapped the perimeter of the ground floor was removed as part of the works and following extensive review of historic records a fully glazed shopfront was installed replicating the proportions of the original - including the granite pilasters, inset doorway and curved glass corner to Whitefriargate.
Original features within the building have been retained and where possible fully restored, including the Art deco metal cage lift that serves the upper floors.
“James and his team at ID have worked tirelessly to get this complex and challenging Heritage conservation project from their initial designs sketches, through planning and listed building consents as well as a complex condition discharge process, to the fantastic outcome which can be seen today “
Tom Watson - Wykeland
The existing steel frame structure was designed to allow free span spaces throughout the building and consequently modern internal partition walls were removed to create expansive open plan offices for the upper floors. Concept proposals have been prepared for the office spaces which have been informed by Art Deco styling from the period including a rich colour palette and use of brass finishes for lighting and metalwork. The original parquet floors are to be retained and restored to create a continuous finish throughout. Services are ceiling fixed and disguised by a metal mesh ceiling raft between the steel frame downstands. New internal Crittall style glazed partitions are used to define circulation areas and meeting spaces which are informed by the metal framed external windows that have been installed across the façade.
The grandeur of this building has been restored and its imposing mirror finish black granite façade is once again the prominent landmark of Hull’s Civic Centre.
