Historic England set for review of department-store heritage

Historic England has confirmed it is planning a programme of “thematic research” on department store heritage, following a wave of store closures in recent months and work by campaign groups on the issue.

20世纪60年代，位于谢菲尔德的科尔兄弟百货商店由Yorke, Rosenberg & Mardall设计，在英国历史博物馆的推荐下，被数字、文化、媒体和体育部评为二级。现在空无一人的商店面对着二级注册的谢菲尔德市政厅。

The government heritage adviser said the store, which was home to a branch of John Lewis until last year, was “a rare example of a post-war department store – designed by a leading mid-C20 firm of architects – with clean, crisp Modernist lines and a sophisticated layout for shoppers”.

Historic England said the building ”stood out from the crowd and contributed to the city of Sheffield’s vision for a vibrant new environment for its residents”.

YRM’s work includes St Thomas’s Hospital in London, Gatwick Airport and Manchester Magistrates Court.

二十世纪协会(The Twentieth Century Society) 20年来一直致力于让科尔兄弟/约翰·刘易斯(Cole Brothers/John Lewis)商店上市，该协会表示，“YRM标志性的白色釉面瓷砖严格的几何形状强调了建筑的统一性。”

该协会还欢迎英格兰历史协会提出的对百货商店进行专题审查的建议，称其为“早就应该”。该机构此前曾表示，希望在对该百货公司作为一种独特建筑类型的正式审查中，能够看到全国范围内一些最好的例子同时列出。

日本vs塞内加尔比分asked Historic England for more details of its thematic review. A spokesperson said the workstream was at an early stage. “We are considering some thematic research,” they said.

Earlier this year the C20 Society published statistics suggesting that 52% of the department stores that were open in the UK in 2015 had subsequently closed.

It has asked members to report local examples at risk so that a database can be built. The society has also sought to flag innovative ways that department-store buildings have been repurposed – such as the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh, created in the former Princes Street branch of House of Fraser. Another example is the University of Gloucestershire’s plans to turn a 1960s former branch of Debenhams into its city-centre campus.

In April, campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage warned thatthe nation’s department stores could suffer the same “loss of relevance” as stately homes and churchesif preventative action was not taken.

It said some 237 department store buildings were listed as vacant as of last summer.

Executive president Marcus Binney said there was a race against time to assess the “proud” and “grandly proportioned” buildings before developers either converted them to residential use or razed them to the ground.

“What is astonishing is the speed with which these handsome and dominating buildings, the pride of cities and prosperous towns, have been closing,” he said.

Save is currently vociferously challenging retail giantMarks & Spencer’s plans to demolish its flagship branchon London’s Oxford Street for replacement with a mixed-use Pilbrow & Partners scheme.

It has now passed the half-way stage in its bid to crowdfund £20,000 towards its legal costs at the public inquiry into the proposals, which is due to take place in October.