Blackpool's new £100m civil service hub taking shape nicely

Work to build a £100m new civil service hub in Blackpool town centre remains ahead of schedule with much of the exterior of the building now in place.

Terracotta façades have now been installed at the seven-storey office block on King Street, which forms part of the Talbot Gateway development.The panels are made from ultra-high strength concrete designed to reflect Blackpool's Art Deco architectural heritage within the town centre.

Work began in February last year to build the hub which will house up to 3,000 civil servants when it opens in 2025. Next steps will include fitting glass to the Cookson Street frontage.

The 215,000 sq. ft offices have been designed to be as energy efficient as possible, with high levels of insulation, low-carbon heating and cooling and demand-driven ventilation, helping to reduce the building’s overall carbon footprint. The façade panels are also highly sustainable and will limit the embodied carbon of the hub.

Designed by London-based Make Architects, the building will also feature cyclist facilities - including showers and changing facilities - a large reception lobby, open plan working areas, meeting rooms, quiet zones and other flexible workplace settings, incorporating high levels of natural daylight and high ceiling heights.

Further demolition work is proposed in the area, with the council seeking permission to demolish a block on the corner of King Street and Milbourne Street. The two and three-storey terraced properties date back to 1880 and include the former site of Kingswood Office Supplies which has now relocated to Whitehills business park on the edge of Blackpool. All the properties earmarked for demolition are empty and were either used for retail or residential purposes.