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civic

transforming wigan’s 1960s civic centre into breeam excellent workspace

Our retrofit of Wigan Civic Centre has transformed a vacant 1960s brutalist landmark into BREEAM excellent workspace for Capital&Centric and Wigan Council. The original precast concrete structure was built in the 1960s to house Council offices but had been left vacant since 2018. The town centre site required urgent renewal to provide aspirational office space for a growing population.

With students, start-ups and professionals situating themselves elsewhere in Greater Manchester, the town had been missing out on the economic and cultural vitality that high quality workspace brings. Civic’s transformation represents not just the overhaul of a tired concrete building, but a wider renewal of place and opportunity for Wigan.

Client:

Capital&Centric + Wigan Council

Location:

Wigan

Size:

33,000ft2 office space
4,345ft2 shared amenity/communal space (internal)
2,850ft2 café space

Contract value:

£11 million

Status:

Complete

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preserving place and materials

Characterised by its heavy precast blocks, cantilevered canopies, and grid-like windows, the existing civic centre was a distinctive feature on the urban landscape. The retrofit stripped the building back to its concrete structure, revealing large floorplates interspersed by concrete columns on a rigid grid. A double-height space has been revealed at the main entrance, creating a sense of arrival while exposing the building’s history.

The retrofit has saved materials from demolition, minimising its embodied carbon impact. As well as environmental benefits, the retrofit preserves a culturally significant building while creating economic opportunities. The outcome is a low-impact building that represents solidity, endurance, and modernity for Wigan.

attracting talent to wigan

Working closely with the developer, Capital&Centric, Civic is designed to attract and retain business talent and economic activity to the heart of Wigan. The renewed building features market-leading facilities including flexible workspace, a café, a gym, mini-cinema, and a roof terrace. Rated BREEAM excellent, the space is greatly improved with high performance windows, natural ventilation, high levels of daylight, and new landscaping.

As part of a wider programme of regeneration in Wigan, Civic provides a catalyst for growth as a central commercial hub for the town. The workspace will accommodate around 300 people, with coffee shop seating to accommodate approximately 50.

enhancing public space for local people

The new café and terrace on the ground floor act as a bridge between the commercial and public realm, open to passers-by. The front of the building on Millgate has been improved by greening the existing walkway, with new planting on existing canopies and raised pavements to allow level access to lower ground floor units. The effect is to create a welcoming link between the public realm outside and commercial activity inside.

the role of commercial buildings in placemaking

Civic demonstrates how outdated commercial buildings can be adapted to revitalise places, unlocking material and cultural value to support regeneration. Retaining existing structures preserves their architectural heritage, while minimising embodied carbon impacts. Meanwhile, BREEAM excellent upgrades bring the level of comfort, wellbeing, and functionality required to attract and retain new talent to the area.

“we’ve put our heart into making civic feel different to your typical workspace. it’s a place that’s buzzing with energy, creativity and ambition, and we want as many people as possible to come and experience it.”

John Moffat, Joint MD, Capital&Centric

innovation
regeneration
transformation

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