HOUSE OF FRASER
Major refurbishment and extension of Guildford’s premier department store to provide an additional 30,000 sq.ft. of trading space. The store is Grade II listed and occupies a central position in the historic High Street, at the heart of the Town Centre conservation area. The scheme was carefully designed to be sensitive to this context while creating a dynamic new retail environment. The scheme includes a 7 storey high atrium space containing the new feature escalator core.
The atrium incorporates a planar glazed façade and curved barrel vault roof on a specialist steelwork frame. At the same time the existing store was completely refurbished, including two new passenger lifts providing disabled access to all floors. The original rooftop water garden, designed by renowned landscape architect G.A. Jelicoe, has been given a new lease of life as part of a new rooftop restaurant and viewing area. The value of this project was in excess of £20 million.