The Nottingham headquarters of national award-winning architectural and interior design practice CPMG is opening its doors to the public, showcasing the lengthy history and heritage of this grade-II listed city centre building.
On Saturday 9 September, CPMG, in partnership with Heritage Open Days, will be doing 20-minute tours of its office throughout the day. The office, which is located at 13 St Peter’s Gate in the city centre, was built in 1874 and is steeped in history.
Starting its journey through the ages as the headquarters of a water company, it then became a longstanding branch of Standard Chartered bank and then Barclays bank.
Since then, the building was turned into a bar, then lay empty for several years before becoming the home of CPMG in 2021, following a significant refurbishment led by the practice.
Richard Flisher, managing director at CPMG Architects, said: “When we took on the lease to the building in 2021, it had been vacant for three years so we knew there would be a considerable amount of work needed to do the building justice.
“Blending CPMG’s forward looking working practices with a building that has so much depth of history has been a great experience for our whole team. We now have a head office that supports our current goals and future as a proud Nottingham business.”
The updated design of the building takes full advantage of the three-storey structure, using a mezzanine floor for desk space to keep the space airy, open, and bright. One of the building’s most interesting features is the utilisation of the former subterranean bank vaults. These vaults or strong rooms have been transformed into meeting rooms and ancillary spaces.
Following renovations to the building, CPMG won a regional design award from the British Council of Offices in 2022, this was in recognition of its successful restoration and repurposing of a neglected high street building turning it into a modern headquarters whilst retaining many of the building’s original 1800s features.
Nearby, in the historic Lace Market area, is the Grade-II* listed Adams Building.
Now used by Nottingham College, the site is also a tour location on Saturday 9 September, with Richard Thorpe, senior designer at CPMG, leading the tours. Richard’s knowledge of the building is unmatched, having been associated with the Adams Building since working on a refurbishment led by CPMG 30 years ago.
The site offers extensive history of Nottingham’s lace trade and was home to the Adams and Page warehouse and lace showroom in the late 19th century.
Speaking on the importance of these tours, Richard said: “At CPMG, we have been lucky enough to work on projects that have helped change the landscape of Nottingham. However, it can sometimes be easy to forget the important progression of the city that came before us, that’s why education on heritage sites such as our office and the Adams building is really important for every generation.
Liam Montgomery, marketing & projects manager at Heritage Open Days, said: “Whether it’s art, music, writing, or another outlet, creativity moves us and shapes our history and culture. We’re excited to put the spotlight on the people and places who give England’s heritage the X-factor and inspire festival-goers to engage with thousands of years of creativity”.
More information on the free CPMG office tours can be found here: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/cpmg-architects-office-13-st-peters-gate-nottingham
