Sheffield United Gas Light Company Offices
Encyclopedia
The former Sheffield United Gas Light Company Offices is a Grade II listed building situated on the northern side of Commercial Street in the centre of the City of Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England. It was originally known as Panache House and this is carved above the western doorway of the building, today it is better known as Canada House. While the main outlook of the building is out onto Commercial Street there is also a short frontage onto Shude Hill at its eastern end and this designated as 19 Shude Hill.
in the classical style of a grand Italian villa. The interior contains ornate plaster ceilings and period fireplaces. The general office contains a glazed dome by J.F. Bentley and carvings by Thomas Earp while the board room contains a decorative ceiling by Hugh Stannus. Improvements and additions were made to the building in 1890. The building remained as offices for the Gas Board until 1972 and throughout this period it was informally known as the Gas Office. The vacant building was offered for sale in 1972 but no buyers came forward. Property developers sought consent to demolish the building and redevelop the site but this was opposed by several preservation societies and in June 1973 it was designated as a Grade II* listed building (later downgraded to Grade II).
An inquiry into the building’s future in 1977 resulted in Sheffield’s Assistant Chief Planner David Cathels stating that the building was considered to be “A vigorous and distinguished example of Victorian architecture which should be retained”. Local businessman Les Vickers paid £110,000 for the building in 1978 with a scheme to turn it into a hotel and conference centre, however these plan fell through and in the early 1980s the building’s lower floor was converted into “Turn Ups” nightclub
and “Bloomers” pub
. In 1990 Canadian Business Parks of Bedfordshire acquired the building with plans to restore it, but this never happened as the company hit financial problems.
The building continued to deteriorate throughout the early 1990s and in 1996 Sheffield City Council
served a legal notice on the owners to effect repairs. However, no maintenance was carried out, rain came in through the damaged roof and period fireplaces were stolen by thieves. The Council in partnership with English Heritage
sealed the building against further damage and it was then acquired by English Partnerships
, the Government agency for regeneration. The building has been restored and at present hosts the No. 1 Oriental Buffet Restaurant on it lower floor with office space above.
Corinthian columns
on both the ground and first floor. The main door is round arched with steps and is flanked by two figures of Atlas
on pedestals supporting a segmental Pediment
. The roof has four square corner pinnacles topped with spires.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England. It was originally known as Panache House and this is carved above the western doorway of the building, today it is better known as Canada House. While the main outlook of the building is out onto Commercial Street there is also a short frontage onto Shude Hill at its eastern end and this designated as 19 Shude Hill.
History
The building was constructed for the Sheffield United Gas Light Company in 1874 by M.E. Hadfield & SonMatthew Ellison Hadfield
Matthew Ellison Hadfield was an English architect of the Victorian Gothic revival. He is chiefly known for his work on Roman Catholic churches, including the cathedral churches of Salford and Sheffield.-Training:...
in the classical style of a grand Italian villa. The interior contains ornate plaster ceilings and period fireplaces. The general office contains a glazed dome by J.F. Bentley and carvings by Thomas Earp while the board room contains a decorative ceiling by Hugh Stannus. Improvements and additions were made to the building in 1890. The building remained as offices for the Gas Board until 1972 and throughout this period it was informally known as the Gas Office. The vacant building was offered for sale in 1972 but no buyers came forward. Property developers sought consent to demolish the building and redevelop the site but this was opposed by several preservation societies and in June 1973 it was designated as a Grade II* listed building (later downgraded to Grade II).
An inquiry into the building’s future in 1977 resulted in Sheffield’s Assistant Chief Planner David Cathels stating that the building was considered to be “A vigorous and distinguished example of Victorian architecture which should be retained”. Local businessman Les Vickers paid £110,000 for the building in 1978 with a scheme to turn it into a hotel and conference centre, however these plan fell through and in the early 1980s the building’s lower floor was converted into “Turn Ups” nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and “Bloomers” pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. In 1990 Canadian Business Parks of Bedfordshire acquired the building with plans to restore it, but this never happened as the company hit financial problems.
The building continued to deteriorate throughout the early 1990s and in 1996 Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors...
served a legal notice on the owners to effect repairs. However, no maintenance was carried out, rain came in through the damaged roof and period fireplaces were stolen by thieves. The Council in partnership with English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
sealed the building against further damage and it was then acquired by English Partnerships
English Partnerships
English Partnerships was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies on a regional level...
, the Government agency for regeneration. The building has been restored and at present hosts the No. 1 Oriental Buffet Restaurant on it lower floor with office space above.
Architecture
The building is constructed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Among the highlights of the architecture are the four paired graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
Corinthian columns
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
on both the ground and first floor. The main door is round arched with steps and is flanked by two figures of Atlas
Atlas (architecture)
In the classical European architectural tradition an atlas is a support sculpted in the form of a man, which may take the place of a column, a pier or a pilaster...
on pedestals supporting a segmental Pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. The roof has four square corner pinnacles topped with spires.