
Fusing heritage and imagination

Middlesbrough Old Town Hall
This £3.5m renovation and extension of the listed Middlesbrough Old Town Hall transforms it from derelict heritage at risk into characterful workspace for the town’s expanding Digital and Creative sector. The project diversifies and enhances local workspace offer, providing 600m2 of dedicated studio, office and co-working space for fledging businesses to grow.

Group Ginger’s design shores up the decayed grandeur of the Old Town Hall and sloughs away successive layers of occupation including an unsympathetic and structurally unwise 1960s extension, replacing it with a single storey contemporary building and mezzanine that reinstates the original Italianate building and proud clock tower to their rightful prominence.
The new build accommodation wraps around the clock tower, framing it as the centerpiece of a courtyard which provides a clear sense of arrival and a central point for congregation. From this courtyard, users can access the refurbished Old Town Hall, with seminar rooms on the ground floor and individual office suites and studios on the first floor. A lift and stairs lead up to a co-working space in the former council chamber. The courtyard becomes a social gathering space and key feature of distinction for tenants.
The 610m2 project is made up of
• Existing refurbished town hall; 338.8sqm / 3646.8sqft
• New ground floor extension; 269.4sqm / 2,899.8sqft
This provides
• A mix of office/studio accommodation for 55-60 tenants
• 24 co-working spaces housed in the original council chamber
• Separate office studio suites, with c.30 desks
• A mix of supporting social meeting and flexible function spaces
Group Ginger’s design prioritises materials durability with minimalist finishes, allowing residents to curate their own spaces.
An outward-facing new public realm encourages interaction with local community and wider public – cementing the building as a place for collaboration.


The future
The renovated Old Town Hall will play a key role in the wider regeneration of St Hilda’s/Middlehaven area. It will sit at the focal point of a master plan that includes the development of 600 new residential dwellings, over 200,000 sqft of office and leisure developments, a new 1,100-space secondary school, and new 6th Form facilities.
Details
Client
Middlesbrough Council
Structures
Civic
MEP
Max Fordham
QS/PD/Fire
RLB
Landscape
Planit