The Piece Hall Transformation

Humble in origin, with its roots as a trading post for ‘pieces’ of cloth tracing back to 1779, The Piece Hall has been ambitiously reinvented as a vibrant cultural and commercial hotbed for the town of Halifax. Fittingly opened on August 1st2017 to coincide with Yorkshire Day, the multi-million pound transformation of this stunning Grade I listed building, and its surrounds, augmented by the construction of a new Central Library, represents one of our most prestigious conservation projects.

The age of The Piece Hall, and the complexity of the work requirements, such as the replacement of the large columns on the Arcade level, presented challenges throughout the 34-month programme. Accordingly, experts such as Conservation Consultant, Dawson Stelfox were sourced and utilised. The Piece Hall’s constrained location within Halifax Town Centre, and its proximity to live operational commercial premises, facilitated the appointment of a local Community Liaison Officer to coordinate engagement. Furthermore, the commissioning of a bat survey identified three roosts of species. As all bats and their breeding sites are legally protected, a license from Natural England had to be granted before work could continue.