6th November 2001
BARNSLEY’S BEEHIVE BUILDING BUZZES BACK INTO BUSINESS

Excitement in Barnsley as stylish new restaurant, bar and shopping complex opens

The people of Barnsley are celebrating the opening of the stylish new shopping and eating complex, The Thomas Whitworth Forum, which was officially opened by the Mayor of Barnsley this week. The former 18th Century warehouse buildings at George Yard have been renovated to become a trendy café bar called “Lucorum” - meaning English Bumble Bee - and carrying on the original Beehive theme. Lucorum contains unique designs by nationally renowned designers Mark Brazier Jones and Danny Lane, and first impressions when entering the café could lead you to believe you’re in the heart of Barcelona, not Barnsley.

Barnsley Development Agency provided a key role in the successful completion of the project, providing support and guidance in the early stages of the development, including advice on funding.

Eric Hill, economic development manager at Barnsley Development Agency, said: “The Thomas Whitworth Forum and Lucorum within it personify Barnsley’s true potential in the year 2001. Through successful public and private sector partnership the town centre now has a public facility that would be at home anywhere on the world stage, and we hope it will be used as an example of regeneration best practice for the town and a catalyst for other developments of a similar quality and vision in Barnsley.”

The town centre is one of Barnsley’s biggest assets, and one of its best kept secrets is Barnsley Arcade, which only 18 months ago was in a run-down state with at least one third of its units vacant. Under the ownership of Sfen investments working in partnership with the local authority to provide grants for retailers, the turnaround has been spectacular. The Arcade now boasts 100% occupancy, with many high quality specialist retailers moving in, and with improved shop fronts which are all refurbished to a similar, traditional style.

The Thomas Whitworth Forum project involved the conversion and restoration of existing derelict buildings known as the Beehive and the Linen Warehouse located in the old part of Barnsley. A pedestrianised cobbled area retains the traditional values of the site in what are now modern, refurbished premises.

Lucorum, is a 3 storey café bar with a restaurant on the top floor. The first floor has been refurbished as a cocktail and bottle bar, with a stunningly eyecatching designer glass bar as its showpiece. The ground floor has a more industrial look, with bespoke bar work by world-renowned metalwork artist, Mark Brazier Jones. The bar is a true work of art, which makes the entrance to the café bar both dramatic and perhaps surprising - at least for those that conform to the often misguided and misinformed stereotypes of the town and its ambitions.
The Brazier Jones bar is a one-off, fitting perfectly into the overall feel and scheme of Lucorum, which can now claim a place on the world stage alongside Mark’s other works at the Louvre gallery in Paris, and in private collections of the rich and famous such as Mick Jagger and Yasmin Le Bon.

As well as making a memorable mark on the overall feel of Lucorum, Mark’s work is also an investment in its own right, as the limited edition works are valued at increasingly high prices - so maybe there’s something in one Barnsley stereotype of having a canny eye for a bargain!
Danny Lane, also an internationally acclaimed designer, built the glass cocktail bar on the first floor, which is made from stacked glass with a solid piece of stainless steel for the counter. Danny also made a matching light that is 2 metres in diameter that hangs from the gallery on the first floor - an imposing permanent feature in the bar, reflecting ambient light off the bar onto the ceiling. The light fitting itself is reclaimed and redesigned from an old Indian wheel, and is constructed from steel and stacked glass in a fan shape. On the same floor are the ladies’ toilets, which continue the glass theme built out of the same rugged stacked glass, an impressive and inspiring feature of Lucorum which continues the overall feel of the bar.

The work of both these designers is something of a coup for the South Yorkshire town - it’s the first time anywhere in the world that Brazier Jones and Lane’s work have appeared in the same building. The visual impact of the finished product cannot be underestimated, adding style and credibility to the Whitworth development and injecting new life and vigour into a previously derelict area of the town centre.

The designers were given a brief of the feel of the building and worked to the dimensions and heritage of the already existing Beehive Building - a Grade II listed building that demanded respect and innovation in equal doses; the original architect would surely not be disappointed, as the refurbished complex combines the exciting and refreshing contemporary designers of the new Millennium, with the classic 18th century industrial architecture.

At the centre of the complex is a Courtyard with a glass canopy roof. On both sides, balconies overlooking the Forum give the atrium area a continental feel with palm trees and exotic plants. The balconies were updated as part of the redevelopment, and the original shutters of the linen mill building restored. Shoppers and diners can now relax under the glass canopy, which overcomes the potential challenges of the unpredictable Barnsley weather, providing shelter all year round.

The glass canopy also has electronic opening vents on the ceiling (for fire and safety regulations) which can be opened up in good weather for better ventilation creating an (almost) al fresco environment. The courtyard also has a garden area at the back with a stone fountain and open air tables and chairs when clement weather prevails.

Local lad made good, John Whitworth, has worked for five years on this project, and is delighted to see the complex coming to fruition and regeneration alive and actually happening in Barnsley.

“I am all for the revival of Barnsley town centre. It has been long and hard work, but I can honestly say it has been well worth it. The buildings are 18th century and were badly in need of some attention. I didn’t want to change much about the feel of the place, and have tried to keep an industrial feel to the ground floor of Lucorum which remembers and respects the traditions of the area.

“I think the Whitworth complex and Lucorum will help bring a new revitalised quality to Barnsley, improving the facilities the town can offer, both to the people that live here and also to visitors. It will also help curb some of the trade that has been leaking away to places like Leeds and Manchester. By providing shops and eateries to people in a Town that very much needs it, we can help Barnsley to catch up with regional trends happening elsewhere.

“When I first started with this project, I must admit that I didn’t realise how big it was going to be. In the future, I would like to think I would be working on some even more ambitious projects, perhaps still in Barnsley. It is more important to me that the buildings I work with are in need of restoration without completely changing the history of the time, and it is pleasing to bring the old and new together successfully, as we have hopefully done with the Whitworth.

“The Café bar is located near to office blocks, so I hope we will pick up the lunchtime and after-work trade. Café bars and pavement cafés are
common place in the rest of Europe, and I would like Barnsley to join in with this trend. I’d like to think Lucorum is the new venue the people of Barnsley need, not only for refreshment, but also for a bit of glamour in their lives; they don’t have to go to Barcelona or the Balearics, the glamour is right here on the doorstep now!”

The complex also holds six retail shops, boasting the following: Bee, ladies designer fashions, selling famous brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, Ghost, Patrick Cox. Ragtags, a hair salon, Ice Interiors, selling gifts, accessories and unusual one off furniture for cool living. Cowboys and Angels, Childrens designer wear, stocking names including Ted Baker, Timberland, Diesel, O’Neill, DKNY and D&G. Hip Hop also selling childrens designer wear stocks more designer clothes including Paul Smith, Armani Junior, Chipie, Replay, Moschino and more. Finally, Cleopatras, a beauty salon specialising in famous skincare products, such as Germaine De Cappucinni and various other beauty treatments.

The Thomas Whitworth Forum is leading the way for the growing trend of innovative regeneration partnerships in Barnsley. The BDA is a partnership made up of the Inward Investment & Development Team, Business Link South Yorkshire, Barnsley Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Community Economic Regeneration Team, and since its formation three years ago, it can already report many successes including the creation of some 400 jobs in the town centre area alone.

During the period April 2000 - March 2001, seven companies were relocated to the borough, with a total investment of over £5M, providing more than 600 additional jobs across some 31,000sq m of floor space.

To find out how you could contribute or benefit from regeneration grants, advice, and support, contact Barnsley Development Agency on (01226) 784444.



Back to main Press Releases page

If you require any further information please email us.

Barnsley Development Agency
Beevor Court, Pontefract Road, Barnsley S71 1HG
Telephone: +44 (0)1226 784444

© 2001