The Corn Exchange

The Challenge:

The well-known Corn Exchange Building was an integral part of exciting plans to make the New Market Square more attractive with new cafés, bars and businesses. It now hosts a new public screen, promoting interactivity and bringing footfall to the area. Once the building housing the indoor market was demolished, the rear façade of the Corn Exchange was exposed. Until this point, the back of the building was hidden from public view, and there had been little thought to the aesthetic value of previous works.

How We Helped:

Working closely with Jeakins Weir, the experienced team at Fusion Electrics improved ventilation and rationalised current equipment to allow tidying and screening of the rear elevation and all planned improvements to the blockwork to take place.

Our remit included replacing external lighting with environmentally friendly LED lighting that changes colour to highlight various aspects and characteristics of this iconic building. We are no strangers to the challenge of working with listed and historic buildings, and we have also been involved in revamping the Knight and Garter (former Molly O’Grady’s) and King Richard III pubs within the same regeneration area.

The Outcome:

It is great to see these listed buildings getting a new lease of life and the area around the market square becoming a destination of choice. Introducing state-of-the-art lighting and electrical equipment into an old building is always a challenge but is worth it for the savings in running and maintenance costs, as well as the environmental benefits.