Join RIBA North West Conservation, Heritage, and Sustainability group for this talk from Geoff Rich (Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios)

The brief for this project called for an exemplar of sustainable refurbishment to support the next 100 years of use for a building with a particularly innovative design heritage.

Opened as a flaxmill in 1797, it was the world’s first iron-frame building and has been described as the ‘grandparent of skyscrapers’. Its combination of cast iron beams and columns, brick arches, and cast iron ties made its construction fireproof, while large windows admitted natural light for its numerous employees. A century later, it was converted into a maltings through a second state-of-the-art design, with windows either blocked up or made smaller, boiler houses demolished, a timber hoist and new tower added, and a large kiln built.

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios have conserved the enduring elements of both uses to provide four floors of flexible working space, while cleverly weaving in a contemporary layer to accommodate a visitor centre and café.

About the event

Join us to hear from Geoff Rich, Architect and Partner at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios as he shares the story behind this project, winner of the RIBA West Midlands Building of the Year 2024 (sponsored by EH Smith) and a RIBA National Award 2024.

Arrival from 5.30pm for a 6pm start. Tickets include refreshments.

This event is organised by the RIBA North West Conservation, Heritage, and Sustainability Group and is funded by RIBA Local Initiative Fund.

About the venue

Situated in one of Manchester’s oldest mills, the Burgess Foundation hosts a brilliant event space with plenty of brickwork akin to a New York comedy club.

• wheelchair-accessible
• no steps on entry
• accessible toilet facilities on ground floor
• all-gender facilities.

Please ask us if you have any special requirements.