A Grade II listed building in the heart of Sheffield is set to begin a new chapter as the new home of S1 Artspace, following years of vacancy and neglect.
The building, originally constructed in 1871, has had a long history in the city. It first served as Sheffield’s general head post office, before becoming home to the Sheffield Stock Exchange for around 50 years. By 1967, much of the building had been taken over by the Yorkshire Penny Bank, which remained there until the branch closed in 2014.
After being left vacant and sealed from 2017, the building was purchased by Sheffield-based arts charity, S1 Artspace in 2024. Years without maintenance had taken their toll, with blocked internal Victorian downpipes causing significant water damage.
Initial strip-out and repair work has since revealed some of the building’s original features, including 1920s wallpaper, coving, columns and sections of historic flooring.
The redevelopment will see the building restored while creating new spaces for artists and the public. On the ground floor, three galleries are planned, including the Banking Hall Gallery, which will feature extended parquet flooring, and the Exchange Hall Gallery, where later additions will be removed to restore the space to its original double-height proportions.
The Exchange Hall will also feature full-height windows and is planned as a space for sculpture, while a gallery shop will provide an additional public-facing element.
Further gallery space is planned for the first floor, alongside a new extension on the building’s existing flat roof which will provide artist studios. The second floor will contain additional studios and creative workspaces.
The basement will also be brought back into use, with further creative workspaces and a bar planned within the former bank vaults. One of the building’s historic 1911 Chatwood safes will even be incorporated into the bar as seating.
As a Grade II listed building, the redevelopment is being carried out alongside the council’s conservation officer and heritage advisers. The project is also working with Donald Insall Associates to ensure that important historic features are retained wherever possible.
Rather than discarding original materials uncovered during the restoration, the team plans to preserve, reuse or recreate features such as historic tiles and flooring within the new design.
The finished development aims to bring a long-vacant building back into public use while retaining its links to Sheffield’s past.
With galleries, artist studios, creative workspaces and a bar all planned for the site, the former post office, Stock Exchange and Yorkshire Penny Bank is set to take on another identity as a new space for art and creativity in the city.
