Premier Construction

Velvet Mill Bradford

Velvet Mill
Written by Roma Publications

Velvet Mill

Shortlisted for the 2019 Wood Awards, Velvet Mill is the second phase in the development at Lister Mills. It was commissioned by Samuel Lister in 1873, and the mills are a collection of Grade II* listed weaving mills that dominate the Bradford skyline.

When first built, The Times announced that Lister Mills was as “breathtaking as Versailles.” It closed in 1992 and slipped into dereliction until Urban Splash, an award-winning regeneration specialist, bought the complex in 2000. Urban Splash has since transformed the site into a mix of new homes, offices, retail, leisure and community space. Silk Warehouse, which was completed in 2006, was converted into 131 apartments and is home to Mind the Gap theatre company and a community Centre.

Velvet Mill, as part of the second phase, has been converted into 190 apartments, including a new two-storey roof top extension and 6,500 sqft of community and commercial space at ground floor level. The two-storey penthouses were conceived as a curvilinear metal fabric, wrapped into a plait to evoke the tradition of weaving. The metal-clad plait, which can be seen for miles around, was entirely dependent on the emerging technology of CNC cutting and OSB board.

These mills are a major focus of regeneration being led by developer Urban splash in conjunction with Bradford City Council and Yorkshire Forward. David Morely Architects, the architects working on them, knew that the most dramatic change was to give new life to a building that had been neglected and unloved for almost 40 years. The handsome stonework was cleaned up and repaired. The window openings were retained but with new windows that respected the original design philosophy by minimising the intrusion of metal frames and maximising the penetration of daylight using the high floor to ceiling heights.

Lister Mills benefits from a rich cultural neighbourhood, boasting the best views across to the Yorkshire moors and the city centre of Bradford alike.

Manningham is home to Lister Park, one of Bradford’s largest parks and a former winner of the Best Park in Britain award. Just a three minute walk from the mills; it is home to Cartwright Hall and the new David Hockney Gallery, a boating lake, a bowls greens, tennis courts, a cafe & Bradford Park Run. Manningham is also home to great shops, a post office, numerous gyms and plenty of places to dine out. A little further afield, Bradford City centre is home to the new Broadway shopping centre and a thriving independent quarter, dotted with new restaurants, bars & real ale houses popping up all the time. Bradford is served by two city centre train stations and you can now travel directly to London Kings Cross four times a day and Leeds/Bradford airport is 30 minutes from the mill.

To find out more about the Lister Mills developments, visit: https://www.urbansplash.co.uk/regeneration/projects/lister-mills

Velvet Mill

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Roma Publications