8:19am Tuesday 23rd June 2009
By Emma Clayton
The striking Victorian architecture in Little Germany is the legacy of European textile merchants who settled in the city and built thriving business empires.
The ornate buildings were used mainly as warehouses for the storage and sale of goods in the 19th century at the peak of Bradford’s textile golden years.
Now one of Germany’s leading property developers is taking the urban village into the future, by transforming three Victorian mill buildings into 70 stylish, contemporary apartments.
The Grade II listed buildings – Gallon House, Hanover House and Tayson House – have been renovated by Garbe UK, blending original architectural features with 21st-century designs.
The striking glass box-like structure on the front of Tayson House brings a modern European city feel to Little Germany. The stark chic of Tayson’s facade blends well with ornate stone carvings around the doorway of adjoining Hanover House.
“It’s a slice of Germanic chic in Little Germany,” says Leigh Tasker, sales and marketing director for city living specialists Smart Moves. “These splendid Victorian buildings were the showrooms of Bradford’s wealth. They’re solid structures built to last. You wouldn’t get anything built with that kind of stonework now.
“These developments offer a slick, modern interpretation of city living, fitting not just of Bradford’s market but the North at large. Since Garbe is one of Germany’s foremost property developers, their involvement is a poignant endorsement for the district’s European heritage.”
With tall windows, balconies and the glass box structures looking on to cobbled streets and rooftops, this feels like proper urban loft dwelling; the kind that New Yorkers made their own long before it became fashionable over here.
Garbe’s design director Neil Pusey says cutting-edge architectural design incorporated into the fabric of Little Germany creates a “European model”.
“Bradford Council’s planning department was very fair. They wanted to keep the integrity of the existing buildings but worked hard with us to create unique solutions to each building. We think the results speak for themselves,” says Neil. “It was very important to keep historic features. Gallon House has an original fabric press in the courtyard garden of a ground floor flat, for example, and we have exposed the wonderful roof structure on the top of Tayson House. We have managed to maintain almost all the historically-important features.”
Leigh describes Little Germany as Bradford’s premier address. “It has the charm of a self-contained village, with city amenities,” he says. “There’s a place for modern, brave architecture alongside historic buildings – look how well Gatehaus sits alongside grand Victorian buildings. Many modern developments will look dated in years to come, but in Little Germany there’s a sensitive balance between old and new which has preserved Bradford’s heritage.
“Little Germany has a long way to go in terms of infrastructure but it has one of the best prospects for an urban village in the UK.”
Despite the current economic climate and its disastrous effect on property, Leigh claims demand for Garbe’s developments is high, particularly the rental market, and only a handful of apartments remain vacant. He’s confident the property market will pick up after autumn.
“People aren’t keen to buy unless they know their income is safe but, post-recession, bricks and mortar will once again be where the money is,” he says. “This challenging time gives Bradford opportunity to look at other cities, and their successes and failures, and take that on board when developing its own regeneration. The silver lining in Bradford’s cloud is it still has prime sites available, whereas Leeds and Manchester haven’t. Some sites there have been developed poorly.”
He adds: “While Leeds has for many years provided an array of city centre residential developments for its impressive legal and financial sectors, Bradford’s infancy as a regenerating city had led to a relative shortfall in the number of executive-standard apartments. However, final-phase completions at premium developments like Tayson House, Eastbrook Hall and Victoria Mills in Saltaire have redressed the balance over recently – now local luminaries have a raft of options for quality urban homes.”
What unites dwellings at Little Germany and the Victoria Mills site in Saltaire, developed by Newmason Properties, is that they’re conversions of period masterpieces.
“Famed for its Victorian vernacular, the district’s architectural legacy has created an unsurpassed context for developers,” says Leigh. “Combining the craftsmanship and quality building materials of yesteryear with a flair for contemporary design and internal fixtures, firms such as Garbe UK, Newmason Properties and Aldersgate Estates have created highly-desirable apartment living spaces and set an impressive benchmark for the future.”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/trade_directory/