Scarborough Council were looking to revitalise the original Victorian Market Hall, retaining the use of the grade two listed structure as a market and add new life and activity to the area through the investment in local independent business. The market had deteriorated through a lack of vision and investment. The two million pound project needed to repair the building fabric, add new space with the introduction of a mezzanine and improve accessibility with the inclusion of a lift and new level entrance.

Consultation with longstanding existing traders, customers and new start-ups led to a thorough understanding of the operational needs. The efficient design organises the space to put traders and customer’s centre-stage, fostering the sense of community and theatre that people love about markets. A flexible events space was introduced to allow for temporary trading, activities and entertainment, creating new opportunities for the building to reclaim its position at the heart of civic life in the town.

The dominant feature of the design is the existing Victorian robust structure. The new steel mezzanine sits politely within the walls of the hall, respectfully subservient. The mezzanine supports new timber retail units and dining area whilst concealing all of the services required for the perimeter food retailers below. New free standing ‘roofless’ timber gondolas enable the full extent of the hall to be appreciated and preserve the view of all of the traders and activity taking place in the market.

The design balances the £2M budget to deliver additional space, repair the existing and improve accessibility. A curatorial approach was adopted to determine where and how to spend the budget and establish a robust design that could be implemented with a design and build contractor in twelve months whilst keeping the existing market open to preserve continuity of trade.

Heritage and Conservation

Constructed in the 1830’s, Scarborough Market consists of a large prominent hall and subterranean vaults. It sits in the midst of a heavily populated conservation area, the historic old town. The external appearance is attractive but the internal stalls had not been constructed in a consistent manner. Therefore, Scarborough Council were looking to revitalise the original Victorian Market Hall, retaining the use of the grade two listed structure as a market and add new life and activity to the area through the investment in local independent business. Our conservation approach set strategic objectives regarding the refurbishment of the existing building. One such strategy was the introduction of a flexible events space that creates new opportunities for the building to reclaim its position at the heart of civic life in the town. We radically transformed the market’s limited and inefficient use of space to maximise opportunities for trading, gathering and performing.