Hidden away, neglected, and with cracks in the stonework big enough to put your fist inside, York’s Guildhall was in a sorry state.
No longer.
After a hugely complex, three-year £20m restoration, the Guildhall has been repaired, restored – and reimagined as an events, leisure and business complex.
Now with its own café, a restaurant with a roof terrace overlooking the river, and offices heated by the river outside, the building – dating back to the 15th century – is fit for the 21st century and beyond.
So here’s a tour of the old and new-look Guildhall…
The outside area
This is now wheelchair accessible with a ramp to the entrances. It could also be used as an outside seating area for the café.
The café
A newly glazed walkway leads through to the café. Like the office space, this will be run by the University of York Science Park, which has leased all of the complex from the council – apart from the restaurant.
The Guildhall itself
The original Guildhall, gutted by fire in the bombing raid of 1942 and restored many years later, has been given a new lease of life. There’s a new floor. Underfloor heating and roof insulation have been installed to keep out the winter chill. A new doorway has been opened up, which means the number of people allowed in under fire regulations goes up from 200 to 300. Events, meetings, performances and craft fairs will be held here. A screen at the back hides a walkway through to…
The reception area
What was the old reception area has a newly restored mosaic floor, and leads through to refurbished offices.
The historic council room
What was once a council committee room can now be hired out – for board meetings, receptions and other events. It even comes with a hidden door opening onto a secret staircase to the roof!
The restaurant
The restaurant is being leased out to a separate operator – and there is huge interest, the council says. It is a brand new building with state of the art kitchens, and a wonderful roof terrace which overlooks the River Ouse.
The offices
All but one of the offices have now been let. They are heated by a water source heat pump, via the river outside, which will vastly reduce the carbon footprint of the building.
Large sums of money have been spent on things the public can’t see – such as underpinning an ancient wall that was suffering from subsidence (hence those big cracks), and work in the basement to contain any floodwater – which should protect the rest of the building when the river is high.
The Guildhall complex will be officially handed over to the university in a couple of weeks time.
