Square new look for former Sheffield nightclub in Heart of the City II

New images of the Gaumont building on Barker’s Pool have been released showing a new frontage based on squares, some of them ‘living’.

It would also have a double height entrance creating a ‘generous public entrance’.

The site was home to the Regent Theatre which opened in 1927. It became the Gaumont Theatre in 1946. Following demolition in 1985, it became a cinema then a nightclub.

A new use for the building has yet to be confirmed although shops are expected on the ground floor.

The development is part of a the £480m Heart of the City II redevelopment being bankrolled by Sheffield City Council.

The revamp is a change from plans to demolish it, announced in 2018, saving millions.

This part of the scheme includes converting the Victorian Palatine Chambers buildings on Pinstone Street into an upmarket 156-bedroom Radisson Blu hotel.

The £29m cost to build it all was revealed when the authority advertised for a contractor in May.

Now, a planning application has been submitted.

The new façade was designed by Sheffield-based HLM Architects.

Delia Harmston, HLM studio lead, said: “The final concept for the façade is a playful reinterpretation of features of the Regent Cinema.”

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Business and Investment at Sheffield City Council, added:

“The Gaumont is in an important position within the city centre. With a new Radisson Blu planned next door and with the great work taking place on Pinstone Street, I don’t think many people in the city would disagree that the existing look of the Gaumont is outdated and tired, and in need of a revamp.

“Across the Heart of the City scheme, we have tried to showcase heritage wherever possible, so I am delighted to see the architect using the Regent Theatre as their inspiration for the new design, while still creating something modern, fresh and exciting.”

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