Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP) is delighted to be working with The 55 Group, a leading group of companies comprising Pagabo, Sypro, Loop and Tequ on its new office premises in Hull. SGP has designed a complete refurbishment of the Grade II ex-banking hall, creating a modern, agile workspace that delivers The 55 Group’s “team-first” approach.
The 1878 building on Whitefriargate in the centre of Hull contains a remarkable amount of original, in situ decorative details, from stunning ceilings and a glazed dome lantern to rich wood work, stonework and window details.
Explains Alan Soper, Studio Director at SGP: “We worked directly with The 55 Group to fit a flexible, vibrant office space within this remarkable heritage asset. Spread across a basement and five floors, the space had to provide workspace and breakout space for the group’s staff across its various brands, plus a members’ bar, private roof top terrace and three floors of offices that could be let out.”
SGP’s design embraces the Victorian boldness with colour, mixing pure white with deep, rich blues and fresh green highlights. A stunning decorative ceiling, picked out in white and dark blue, arcs over a mix of informal and formal workstations, complete with circular juice bar. A cantilevered mezzanine floor, which leaves the original decorative features and columns untouched, is flooded with light from the dome lantern and generous windows across the main office space.
Jess Greenhalgh, Interior Designer at SGP: “We were designing the spaces during the pandemic and, in response to the new ways of thinking and working, The 55 Group decided to remove some 40% of the formal desk space and introduce more varied workstations, including informal breakout and meeting areas.”
Chief executive of The 55 Group Gerard Toplass said: “While Whitefriargate is one of the city’s oldest streets and is a fundamental part of Hull’s heritage, we are looking forward to its next chapter at the heart of the city’s modern, future-ready offering. We believe that it’s important for modern-day employers to be able to offer their workforce opportunities for self-growth and personal development on their own premises, and we believe that this new facility will do just that.”
The ground floor includes SGP’s designs for a separate private members’ bar area, to be run by Hotham’s Gin School, one of the new tenants. SGP’s design works with the relatively low ceiling height to create a 1920’s speakeasy feel, with dark painted retained brick, chevron wood flooring and low level lighting. The beautiful timber from the old cashiers’ stations and clerks’ cubicles has been re-used as feature panelling on the walls, and also as partitions, with the bar back being built from old bookcases found elsewhere in the bank.
Concludes Alan: “The 55 Group was very hands-on as a client and wonderfully open to different ideas. We shared a respect for the heritage of the building and a desire to bring it back into practical, long-term use which achieves the group’s aspirations for a sustainable business ecosystem. I think the result is a design that offers practical work and play spaces that deliver what the client needs for themselves today and can respond to the changes in business life for years to come.”
