Cole Brothers: Huge mural planned for John Lewis building to stop city centre being a 'dump'
A huge mural is set to be painted on the former Cole Brothers department store to combat graffiti which is seen as dragging the city centre down.
The artwork is earmarked for the wall at the back of the former John Lewis store on Burgess Street.
Painted by established artist, Kid Acne, it would state: ‘Walk in your purpose and trust in the process’.
A planning application has been submitted by the Friends of Sheffield City Centre.
It states: “The Cole Brothers building is repeatedly graffiti tagged. Apart from defacing a listed building and impacting on the wider setting of the City Centre Conservation Area, the general public see this ‘scrawl’ as an indication of Sheffield City Centre being run down and subsequently call it a dump’.
The application adds: “Street art murals are generally widely valued and loved by the Sheffield public.
“A mural on the car park ramp would create interest and cover up the tagging. Kid Acne is an established Sheffield artist who understands and respects the graffiti tagging culture. As such, his murals tend to be left alone, so the risk of over tagging is minimal.”
John Lewis closed with the loss of 299 jobs in 2021.
The building was listed in 2022.
Developer Urban Splash was granted a 250-year lease from owner Sheffield City Council in 2024.