Urban Block, Great Yarmouth
Between 2006 and 2008 the corner block in Great Yarmouth bounded by Market Row, Howard Street and Angel Row was largely rebuild and redeveloped. Commissioned by Great Yarmouth Borough Council. The site included the Grade II listed former Bretts warehouse, two listed historic cottages in ruins, a redundant public house and a vacant site. Our aim was to restore the urban fabric of the Rows, a unique urban network of alleyways, approximately 2m wide that generally run in and east west direction from the river Yare. Consequently, the Market Row site yielded the opportunity to create commercial space on the ground floor and three floors of social housing above in the form of six, two and three bedroom flats.
The cottages were painstakingly stitched together using conservation appropriate techniques and materials. Bretts warehouse was reformed for The Benjamin Foundation who provide help and support for young people encouraging them to lead independent lives. The building was named ‘Aspire’ and together with the redevelopment of the old Talbot pub and the restored cottages provided 17 self contained flats and two shared houses with associated meeting rooms, training rooms, staff and administration areas, common rooms, break out spaces and a café. The basement (christened ‘Bass-ment’) is a creative and media training space with recording facilities, an IT suite and training kitchen. A programme of artwork which was integrated into the interiors was commissioned by Jo Chapman based on the maritime heritage of Great Yarmouth.
