Work starts to make landmark Majestic again

The company has appointed Ilkley-based Quarmby Construction Company to renovate the former Majestyk nightclub in Leeds, one of the city centre’s most distinctive buildings which has stood empty for five years, into bars and restaurants.

The six-month refurbishment programme, which starts this month, will create two self-contained units, one at basement level and one at the ground floor with balconies including a roof terrace overlooking Leeds City Square.

Other work will include the refurbishment and repair of the outside of the building, creating shop-front style windows to the ground floor and new windows at the upper levels.

The plan is to let in more natural light, allow people in the upper floors to look out across city square and enable passers-by to see inside parts of the building, originally built in the 1920s, with its distinctive 21-metre doomed roof.

Rushbond, which has been behind the refurbishment of a number of historic buildings in Yorkshire, said the renovation will create a basement venue suitable for a night club, live music venue and a bar.

The ground floor, comprising balconies and mezzanine levels for bar and restaurant facilities, will have a Leeds City Square entrance.

Agents Savills and Pudney Shuttleworth said the building had generated significant interest from potential tenants.

Rushbond managing director, Jonathan Maud, said: “We’re excited to be starting work on renovating The Majestic, one of Leeds most significant and attractive buildings, which will make it more accessible to local people and complete the transformation of Leeds City Square.”

The building, originally designed by architect Pascal Steinlet, initially opened as a 2,400-seat cinema, with a basement restaurant, which closed in 1969. The building then became a Bingo hall which eventually closed and made way for The Majestyk which featured six bars with space for 3,000 revellers until its closure, after about ten years, in 2006.

Rushbond’s previous schemes include the £120m mixed-use Brewery Wharf, which pioneered re-development of the south bank of the River Aire; Airport West office park next to Leeds Bradford International Airport and the development of the new northern headquarters for the BBC at Quarry Hill, Leeds.