The Halls Wolverhampton
The Halls Wolverhampton underwent a refurbishment which increased its capacity and improved visitor facilities
The Halls Wolverhampton, formally known as Wolverhampton Civic Hall, underwent a £48m refurbishment which increased the capacity to 5,000 across its two halls, the main Civic Hall and the smaller Wulfrun Hall.
The Grade II listed building opened in 1938 but closed in 2015 to undergo its refurbishment. The refurbishment included installing wider and more comfortable seating, more accessible viewing points, better access arrangements, improved toilet facilities, bigger and better bars, and new air conditioning. The original features of the building were also retained and restored to their original condition.
Desco provided the mechanical and electrical services design for the refurbishment and coordinated with specialist AV contractors during the project. Due to the heritage nature of the building, the alterations which could be made were limited, which added to the complexity of the MEP design and coordination. However, by using 3D Revit modelling software which assisted with coordination and clash detection these issues were overcome.
A high-level ventilation system was designed and installed to avoid any openings on the Grade II listed facades, which meant that all ventilation plant equipment was positioned on the roof and then fed down to the rest of the building.
The Halls Wolverhampton also made the shortlist for three RICS Regional Awards 2024, the Community Benefit, Public Sector and Refurbishment Revitalisation categories.
The team included: S&P Architects, Willmott Dixon Construction, Furness and Faithful+Gould.
Images courtesy of Space & Place Architects
Project
The Halls Wolverhampton
Location
Wolverhampton
Value
£48m