Halifax’s Georgian Piece Hall reopens following multi-million pound transformation

The Piece Hall in Halifax, a Grade-I listed former cloth hall, is set to reopen on August 1st following a multi-million pound transformation.

The Georgian structure has been transformed into a contemporary leisure, retail, cultural and heritage destination with a £7m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, along with funding from Calderdale Council, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation.

The newly revamped building has seen the sloping central courtyard levelled, creating 66,000 sq ft, which will host a seasonal programme of events with capacity for up to 7,500 people.

The courtyard features new lighting, seating and two cascading water features designed by The Fountain Company, which sit within the north-west and south-east corners and interpret the historical importance of water in the production of cloth.

A new east extension at The Piece Hall provides facilities for a three-story restaurant and cocktail bar and links through to Square Chapel Arts Centre, which recently opened a new £6.6m extension featuring a new theatre, cinema and café bar.

New gateway connections have also been made between The Piece Hall and Orange Box Young People’s Centre; the council’s new purpose-built Central Library and Archive and the Calderdale Industrial Museum.

This new cultural quarter is set to attract an estimated footfall of 1.6m per year, and will also benefit from £120m of investment into improving transport and infrastructure from the station through to Eureka! The National Children’s Museum.

Halifax-born British wheelchair racer and Paralympian Hannah Cockcroft MBE will ring The Piece Hall bell to mark the start of trading, echoing the first ever day of business in 1779.

The opening marks the culmination of a three-year transformation project delivered by Calderdale Council and designed by LDN Architects.

Nicky Chance Thompson, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, an independent charity formed to manage The Piece Hall, commented: “For anyone that has yet to experience The Piece Hall, it’s not easy to get across the scale and grandeur of the place. It brings to mind Covent Garden’s ‘Floral market’ with a grand courtyard that is reminiscent of Somerset House, combined with magnificent Italian-style architecture.

“Given the phenomenal 200-year history of the building and scale of the transformation, it’s incredible that until now, it has been one of the North’s best kept secret, but that’s all about to change.”

Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s deputy leader, said: “The transformation of Halifax’s magnificent Piece Hall is now complete and we’re looking forward to hearing people’s reactions as they see the impressive changes for the first time on Yorkshire Day.

“Our ambition for The Piece Hall was to conserve the building for future generations, whilst creating a world-class tourist attraction that would strengthen the local economy. Once again, we’d like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation for sharing our vision and for their generous support.

“Yorkshire Day will mark the Council’s handover of the building to the independent Piece Hall Trust, who have really exciting plans for its future. We’re confident that people from Calderdale and beyond will be visiting this 21st century heritage destination time and time again in the years to come”.

Ros Kerslake, chief executive at the Heritage Lottery Fund, added: “The Piece Hall and its courtyard are pivotal players in the history of Halifax and West Yorkshire. Our investment of £7m of National Lottery players’ money has been integral to its redevelopment and means that it can be enjoyed much more widely than before.

“Whilst it’s lost none of its character as a vibrant 18th-century trading place, it’s now a much more welcoming civic space where people will be able to work, meet, learn and relax.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →