Street elevation photograph of Clarence House, Brighton, including shop front of Coal Shed restaurant on the ground floor. Stickland Wright Architecture and Interior Design

Mixed Use

Clarence House: Finding new life for an icon of Brighton’s architectural past

First constructed in 1785 as a coaching inn, Grade II Clarence house is an iconic piece of Brighton’s history: the only remaining example of the once numerous inns which lined North Street. Our scheme has revitalised the property and transformed it into a dynamic mixed-use space.

The ground floor, previously a mix of small retail and restaurant units and empty office space, has been brought together to create one large restaurant, now occupied by the Coal Shed restaurant. Upstairs, the previously vast office space has been divided to create smaller, more lettable offices that overlook the street. In the quieter rear and at 3rd floor, 11 new apartments are created.

By diversifying use we have created opportunity for long term, sustainable occupation of the building. Not only will this make use of the vacant building, but it will also ensure the property is preserved and maintained for generations to come.

SERVICES PROVIDED

Stickland Wright’s first task was to undertake a through study of the buildings history and the changes that had been made to it over the years. This informed our design proposals and allowed us to successfully achieve listed building consent and planning permission for the conversion of the property to multiple uses.

The relationship between The Coal Shed restaurant and the adjacent office and residential spaces was a key focus for our SW+ service. Collaborating within a large multidisciplinary team, we carefully coordinated the service infrastructure, listed fabric and details for extraction in particular.

We specialise in retrofit and the adaptive re-use of existing buildings, always prioritising this approach over new construction. Here, the change of use triggered a regulatory requirement to upgrade the building fabric’s performance. Our expertise allow us to develop tailored solutions to suit the historic building fabric.

Historic drawing of the front elevation of Clarence House
Street elevation photograph of Clarence House, Brighton, including coloured overlaying demonstrating uses at each floor: Coal Shed restaurant on ground, offices and apartments on first and second floor, and apartments on third floor. Stickland Wright Architecture and Interior Design