The Piece Hall Halifax

The Piece Hall, Halifax.qxp_2Easipoint Standard 26/03/2020 14:31 Page 1

CASE STUDY: Streetscape & Façade Mortars

The Piece Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire

Parex mortars specified for restoration of historic commercial landmark.

A combination of Parex BS 7533-compliant mortars has been used for a major public realm hard landscaping scheme carried out as part of a multi-million pound heritage conservation and transformation programme at The Piece Hall, Halifax, which was built in the 18th century for both the home market and for export all around the as a trading hub for the Yorkshire woollen industry. world.

The Piece Hall has a square footprint around an extensive The Georgian Piece Hall was built in 1779 and lies at the courtyard which is surrounded on all sides by many small heart of the West Yorkshire town. In the bustling trading units where deals for cloth pieces were done. commercial centre, merchants bought “pieces” of woollen Later, the building became the town’s market and has cloth from pre-Industrial Revolution hand loom weavers served as a cultural and commercial centre since an initial based in the surrounding countryside would sell them on refurbishment in the 1970s.

The Grade 1 listed Piece Hall has more recently undergone a multi-million pound conservation and transformation programme designed to create a world-class cultural, commercial, educational and visitor destination.

The Piece Hall transformation project was delivered by Calderdale Council and made possible by funding from the Council, a generous £7 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund – thanks to National Lottery players – and kind support from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation. The construction work was carried out by Graham Construction and the design work by LDN Architects. The Piece Hall is now operated by an independent body, the newly formed charity The Piece Hall Trust.

Images Copyright of Paul White Photography The Piece Hall, Halifax.qxp_2Easipoint Standard 26/03/2020 14:31 Page 2

CASE STUDY: Streetscape & Façade Mortars

The scheme featured extensive hard landscaping and deliveries. Over the course of the contract more than 700 remodelling of the open central courtyard over an area of tonnes of FBC were supplied. approximately 30,000 sq metres. The gently sloping site has been re-designed to provide an extensive public The use of the silo allowed the contractors to limit performance space with tiered seating incorporating water deliveries to site, reduce the area required for material features. storage and to achieve health, safety and environmental benefits by limiting dust and eliminating packaging. High quality granite paving, along with granite setts and traditional sandstone was used throughout with Parex To achieve a strong bond between the paving units and the specialist mortars used for bedding, bonding and jointing FBC, a coating of slurry applied Parex Bond Plus mortar the various slabs and setts throughout the central square was used to the downward facing surfaces prior to laying. and beyond to the various entrances on all four sides of the Jointing of the 10mm gaps between the paving units was courtyard. then carried out with a slurried application of Parex Granatech high strength jointing mortar. For bedding, Parex supplied a 16 tonne self-mixing silo to For added strength on the stepped sections, all provide constant and consistent supplies to Parex Fine constructed in Granite, Parex Kerbfix, an extremely rapid Bedding Concrete for the Graham Construction setting polyester mortar, was used. landscaping teams. The silo was located in a temporary compound just outside the Piece Hall perimeter where it The overall refurbishment scheme also encompassed could be accessed for regular replenishment by bulk refurbishment and remedial work throughout The Piece Hall and lasted over two and half years.

Clients: Calderdale Council Main Contractor: John Graham Construction, Leeds, West Yorkshire Design: LDN Architects, Edinburgh

PAREX MATERIALS USED Bedding: Parex Fine Bedding Concrete (silo supplied) Bonding: Parex Bond Plus Mortar Jointing: Granatech Steps/kerbs: Parex Kerbfix