The Holbeck
Giving the oldest Working Men’s Club in the country a new lease of life
Project Information
Project: Accessible alterations to the The Holbeck
Client: Slung Low
Location: Holbeck, Leeds
Scope: RIBA Stages 0-7
Status: Complete
The brief
Founded in 871, The Holbeck (formally known as the Holbeck Working Men's Club, is thought to be the oldest surviving working men's club in the UK to provide an education and leisure facilities that support the workers of the industrial heartland of South Leeds. The building has been added over the years culminating in a substantial extension in the 1960s forming the snooker hall. The Holbeck is located within the heart of a residential area and continues to play a key part in the local community.
Slung Low took over the management of the building in 2018. Slung Low is an award winning theatre company offering rehearsal space to regional artists and performance to local audiences. They also run the Cultural Community College where adults learn new cultural skills which are provided on a Pay What You Decide basis. they left in 2022, leaving a more accessible Club to its Trustees.
We were commissioned to make the Club as accessible as we could, firstly by providing a new ramp and entrance area to the front of the building, and then by inserting a new lift that connected the cellar with the first floor ballroom.
Our Approach
A wider feasibility study was carried out to explore how the whole building could be made accessible from the point that a visitor entered the carpark to being at an event in the first floor ballroom. The redesign of the toilets was also a key consideration with the existing facilities being outdated, inaccessible and uninclusive.
The delivery of the works was spread over two phases to take into account funding, stakeholder expectations and the Covid pandemic.
The initial phase focused on getting people safely into the building. The carpark was resurfaced and remarked out with designated accessible bays and secure cycle storage. A new ramp was installed to the front door, along with a new front door that was able to be kept open to signify a sense of welcome. New glazed inner front doors provided the security and a dry vestibule while waiting for access. A new coat of render, external lighting and signage completed the external transformation.
The second phase created a new lobby area and a lift that connected the cellar through to the first floor ballroom. The lift replaced the inadequate stairlift and enabled people to access all the floors with dignity. The works also included extensive asbestos removal and fire stopping works.
Outcomes & Impact
The alterations have been transformational to both members of the Club and visiting organisations. When we first started on the project we heard about a longstanding Club member who had broken her hip twice falling on the front door steps. After the works, it is reported that she was thrilled with the new interventions.
During Slung Low's time at the Club, the space was used by Leeds Dads, a local organisation that brings together a diverse community of fathers for social interaction and support. One of the dads was observed racing down the ramp with their child who was in a wheelchair, laughing and giggling. Something as simple as being able to get through the front door had such an impact on that particular family.
These two stories demonstrate the importance of a front door that works, and how transformational accessible interventions can be to people's lives.
“Ours is a challenging building and Stead & Co’s designs brilliantly opened up the entrance and made the building more accessible whilst embracing the existing features, making clever use of the space and funds available. She introduced us to a number of trusted consultants and worked well with the construction company. She also was very good at communicating the plans and developments to the club’s committee, a group with limited experience of capital projects.”