How architects balance York’s historic past with 21st century design
Working in the historic city of York as an architect is a privilege, a pleasure and a challenge in equal measure.
From Roman foundations and the city walls with their majestic Bars to medieval masterpieces like York Minster, through Georgian elegance and Victorian railway developments, the city’s architecture is a fabulous mix, making it a living embodiment of styles and eras.
As architects in York today, it is our role and our duty to be guided by this unique heritage.
Stepping outside the front door of our offices on Blossom Street, one is confronted by an extraordinary mix of architectural styles. Immediately opposite is the Everyman Cinema, a classic Art Deco building; to the left is the Victorian East Mount Road, one of the city’s most sought-after streets; and to the right the Georgian Bar Convent, the Windmill Inn, dating back to the late 17th century and the magnificent Micklegate Bar, a lasting reminder of Roman genius.
A little further into the city centre are the overhanging half-timbered buildings in The Shambles; the fabulous Minster itself; the Georgian elegance of Fairfax House and the Assembly Rooms; and York’s magnificent railway station, built in 1877.
So, in this context, it’s vital that the wide variety of fascinating projects in York on which we are working not only respect the city’s architectural history, but also create buildings which are fit for life and work in the 21st century.
These include four new homes on the site of the famous Mount Royale Hotel. Built as two separate dwellings for wealthy families in 1833, 117 and 119 The Mount were combined in the 1980s into the Grade II-listed Mount Royale Hotel. Following the closure of the hotel in 2021, we have designed four houses, two as part of the sensitive restoration of the hotel building and two new family homes at the southern end of the gardens. Work on this project will start shortly.
Meanwhile St Peter’s School, founded in 627AD, is moving from a three to a two-school structure. This involves creating a modern environment within an ancient setting, a challenge which we relish.
Two new hotel projects illustrate how we are helping to mastermind 21st century recreational facilities in a city so full of heritage and history. The first is in Piccadilly, in the York Central Historic Core Conservation Area, and replaces Swinson House, the old tax office. Our design features a sensitively proportioned, contemporary brick building referencing York’s vernacular architecture, and responding to the surrounding historic buildings of St Denys’ Church and Clifford’s Tower.
The second hotel is situated in the shadow of Micklegate Bar. Like Piccadilly, Micklegate, one of York’s most architecturally rewarding streets, is within the Central Historic Core Conservation Area. We worked with the City of York Council and stakeholders to devise a scheme that has revitalised the area through the creation of a new boutique aparthotel alongside a renovated streetscape.
We used the principles of conservation to approach the design; to nurture change whilst preserving cultural significance. We undertook an extensive amount of research investigating in depth the area’s history and evolution that created Micklegate in its current form.
Our philosophy is centred on the belief that we have a responsibility to create buildings which have longevity, beauty, value and purpose. That same philosophy has guided all those architects down the ages, who have made York the amazing city it is today.