Office refurbishment for historic factory

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 24-08-2011

A major office refurbishment is underway on a historic Leeds property that was once one of the biggest factories on the planet.

The interior space at the Igloo-owned Marshall’s Mill in Holbeck Urban Village is being renovated to attract modern businesses to the site. The bigger floor plates in the former mill - which were used to support heavy machinery - are being broken down to remove the sense the building is still fitted out for its previous existence.

Half of the Grade II listed building’s six floors will be refurbished into offices with space planning seeing them turned into smaller suites to encourage a productive working environment. Original features such as brick work and stone floors will be partially exposed to help workers connect with the historic nature of their environment.

Tenants will be able to lease the work spaces on flexible terms in a move that Igloo hopes will attract a wide client base.

In an interview with TheBusinessDesk, Paul Simmons, from Igloo, said: "We are investing in a refurbishment to turn the large floor spaces into smaller suites which in turn will accommodate the smaller growing companies that thrive in our community, whilst retaining the flexibility to open them out again to accommodate larger companies."

Copyright Press Association 2011