Kidderminster Town Hall
Reviving an urban gem
The Grade II Listed Kidderminster Town Hall is a prominent heritage landmark in the town centre comprising the Corn Exchange and Music Hall (1855) and Town Hall (1875). Despite its historical and cultural significance, the venue has been underused in recent years, with declining audience numbers and reduced community engagement.
The aim of the project was to re-establish the Town Hall as a vibrant, inclusive, and accessible civic space. Key works included sensitive repairs to the historic fabric, the creation of a new enclosed courtyard, a new loading bay, vertical circulation improvements via new lifts, and the installation of modern mechanical and electrical services throughout.
Project Lead
Project Team
- Value £8.5m
- Location Worcestershire
- Client Wye District Council Kidderminster Town Council
- Completion Ongoing
Stronger features for better services
In the Music Hall, structural interventions upgraded the historic timber trusses to support new building services, including air handling units, stage lighting, and sound systems. Where necessary, trusses and purlins were strengthened with bespoke solutions to preserve the structural integrity and heritage value of the space.
A new stage was constructed, carefully coordinated with building services routed through the floor void.
A delicate canopy
Ground investigations revealed significant depths of made ground in the proposed courtyard area, leading to the adoption of a piled foundation system for the new canopy.
We worked closely with Howells Architects to refine the canopy’s design, developing a visually lightweight structure with slender members and concealed connections.
Improved accessibility
Further structural works included the design of a new sculptural stair and viewing platform, and the installation of a new lift above a brick-vaulted basement. We undertook a careful assessment of the existing vault structure, enabling its retention with only minimal strengthening.
The integration of modern service routes posed significant challenges; we developed a suite of structural solutions for new penetrations and maintained a close presence on site to coordinate final routing and detailing.
