Bradford city centre building to be transformed into aparthotel scheme

The former Brown & Muff building in Bradford city centre is set to be converted into an aparthotel after plans were approved by the council.

The planning application was submitted in September of this year by Stamford Properties Ltd., outlining its strategy to extend and convert the building into 69 apartment/hotel rooms.

Located adjacent to the Wool Exchange, the Grade-I listed building, the building is just off Market Street with the main entrance accessible from Ivegate Street. Dating back to 1814, the original Brown & Muff Company was demolished and rebuilt in 1870. Founded by Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, the department store was known as the ‘Harrods of the North’.

The business was taken over by Rackhams and eventually closed in 1995 due to the downfall of the economy.

The development has been designed by Manchester architects, Fletcher-Rae.

Andrew Rae, co-founder of the Fletcher-Rae, said: “The former Brown & Muff building is prominent in the area, yet semi-vacant and underutilised. With plans progressing, active use will be reinstated across the upper floors and the building’s presence will be enhanced with a recogniseable frontage from surrounding high-streets.

“The underlying aim of the development is to strengthen the area, acting as a catalyst for further development.

Due to the flexibility of the aparthotel design, the venue accommodates overnight bookings and lengthy reservations alike with the capacity to accept guests for a duration of 6 months or more.

“Room sizes vastly vary from 28sqm to 50sqm family-sized rooms, including 4 accessible rooms, appealing to tourists and business travelers alike.”

The aparthotel model was found to be in high-demand in Bradford following extensive market research carried out by the scheme’s developers.

Plans to convert the Victorian building involve reconfiguring the floorplan in the upper units, adding a new entrance lobby and extending the roof a single-story.

A mansard roof system is designed in shape and materials to visually reduce the scale of the building and reflect the surrounding area by incorporating dark metal cladding.

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