Private Client

Budget

£1-1.2m

Situated within the Middleton Town Centre Conservation Area and recognised as a building of local significance, 77 Long Street sits amidst a diverse and eclectic streetscape. The project needed to balance a sensitive approach to the historic street-facing façade with a contemporary, functional extension at the rear and sides, while creating a multifunctional venue capable of hosting civic, community, and celebratory events.

The design adopts a restrained intervention on the street frontage to respect the building’s heritage, while introducing a contemporary architectural language at the rear, inspired by Edgar Wood’s regional modernism. A lightweight glass box, subtly offset and supported by refined brick and tile detailing, forms the core of the extension. Hit-and-miss brick screens and narrow slot windows animate the elevations with shifting patterns of light and shadow, while a custom motif screen and ornamental columns on a shaded canopy provide a sense of civic presence at the entrance.

Inside, the proposal creates a dramatic ceremonial sequence. A pair of double doors opens into a vestibule, providing a gracious threshold before leading to a circular central entrance space beneath a skylight. Bespoke bifold doors frame views of a sculptural spiral staircase within a double-height void, offering a sense of theatrical reveal and vertical dynamism. Additional double doors inserted into existing window apertures connect the kitchen and banquet hall with the new reception foyer, enhancing the flow and ceremonial progression through the building.

Externally, the underused rear bowling green is activated through the introduction of a new car park, accessed via a gently sloping ramp that integrates into the existing vehicular network. The scheme carefully preserves mature trees and enhances site biodiversity, reinforcing the building’s role as both a civic landmark and a vibrant community hub.

The project sensitively fuses heritage preservation with contemporary interventions, creating a multifunctional venue that honours its historic context while delivering flexible, dramatic, and welcoming spaces for community events, civic ceremonies, and private celebrations. The thoughtful connection between internal circulation, visual drama, and external site enhancements ensures the building serves as a cultural and social anchor within Middleton for years to come.