A deliverable vision for Derby City Council's most prominent vacant site.
In 2016, we released bold proposals for Derby's cleared Assembly Rooms site—a 1.2-hectare gap in the city centre that had sat empty for too long. The goal was to start a conversation about what Derby could become if it stopped playing safe.
The conversation happened and people got excited. The council took notice, and now they've commissioned version 2.0—refined proposals heading to consultation that balance ambition with deliverability.
Location
Derby City Centre
Status
Masterplan
Client
Derby City Council
Services
Architectural Design
3D Visualisation
Area
15,000 sqft
The Plaza
Designing Space For People to Actually Use
Great city centre schemes live or die by their public realm. We've designed an expansive plaza at the heart of the site—deliberately flat and uncluttered so it can adapt to whatever Derby needs. Christmas markets and ice rinks in winter. Summer events and festivals. Or just open space where people can gather.
Vibrant planting beds frame the plaza without restricting it, adding colour and texture while maintaining flexibility. Warm-toned paving and bronze detailing create a material language that ties everything together, bridging the gap between Derby's historic fabric and contemporary intervention.
The pedestrian routes threading through the site reconnect desire lines, stitching Derby's shopping district back to the Market Place and cultural quarter. It's urban repair, not just infill.
Buildings That Activate Their Context
An 11-storey curved hotel wrapped in expansive glass facades anchors the scheme with confidence. Aluminium cladding accents catch and reflect light throughout the day, creating a dynamic presence that signals Derby means business.
The 6-storey mixed-use block works harder at street level. Full-height glazing activates ground-floor retail that engages directly with the public realm. Above, deep red brick pays homage to Derby's industrial heritage while bronze accents add contemporary warmth. Office floors provide daytime activity, while a rooftop bar and restaurant give people a reason to stay after the shops close.
Together, these buildings create active edges throughout the day and evening, turning what was an under-used city centre zone into somewhere people want to be.
