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New plans to restore our treasured Grainger Market have been unveiled, protecting its heritage and securing its future.

Anyone who read our most recent feature on Grainger Market will know how much we love this melting pot of old and new traders.

The historic building has received £8.2million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund as part of a wider successful bid for city centre projects. The vision is to create a space for cultural activities in the market whilst also making significant improvements to create a destination to rival the best European markets.

The Arcade will be upgraded to complement the restored barrelled glass roof, creating a new event space, extended opening hours and two new pavillions at each end creating new spaces for seating, events and new retail spaces.

The Arcade will also benefit from new terrazzo flooring, and the removal of freestanding central retail units, which were added in the 1970s, will create space for additional seating and events. Traders who were currently located in this central area have been relocated to newly renovated units in the market.

Other improvements, many of which have been shaped by feedback from traders and will enhance the original features, including:

• Renovations to all 14 entrances to improve the market’s visibility. These will be fitted with glazed, automatic sliding doors and fixed glazed windows to help reduce draughts.
• Upgraded décor for all the entrances, with new mosaic floor tiling and runners, orientation and signage added.
• Refurbishment of the external area around the entrances, with planters, signage, and new granite paving runners to lead customers into the market.
• Improved décor of the alleys and new wayfinding and signage. New programmable LED lighting will be installed to upper sections to allow for colours to change and an improved ambience.
• Refurbished toilet facilities.

Cllr Alex Hay, Cabinet Member for a Thriving City said: “I am pleased to unveil these plans that the council, FaulknerBrowns and Grainger Market traders have been working on for some time now.

“This has been a truly inclusive process, where the traders’ opinions have been listened to throughout, and these designs have been shaped by them.

“We have a unique asset in the Grainger Market, and it is more than just a striking and historic building. It is a community that has been created over the years by loyal traders and customers.

“And they will continue to be as important as ever, but to secure the market’s future it must move forward and broaden its appeal and customer-base. With these new plans, I am confident we can achieve this, with the traditional and more contemporary working side-by-side to create a vibrant destination befitting of and benefitting our wonderful city.”

Tania Love, Associate Partner at Faulkner Brown Architects said: “Grainger Market is one of the best, if not the best, of the UK’s purpose-designed indoor markets. It has successfully traded for nearly 200 years, so our approach to the renovation has been to focus on careful interventions that will hopefully help its independent traders thrive for many more years to come.

“We celebrate the market’s heritage by looking back to look forwards – colours, patterns and materials of the existing building are reflected in new structures, finishes and facilities.

“Within the Arcade, pavilions have been designed to better support the market as a social destination, somewhere to sit, to meet while eating and shopping, but also to host daytime and night-time events, from fashion shows and live music to pop-up trader demonstrations and dinner events.”

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