Historic Hulme pub to be brought back to ‘original grandeur’
- The Junction Hotel set for regeneration and expansion
- To reopen as a community hub and arts space
- Apartment block and car park to be built alongside
The historic pub and music venue, previously known as The Junction Hotel on Rolls Crescent is set for a regeneration scheme for the first time following its closure in 2016.
It comes following the original news of restoration and expansion proposals by Roost Architects back in March 2020, which were awaiting approval by the council.
Following the approval, Roost Architects are proposing to reopen the pub as a live music, community, arts and business startup centre. The unused car park will be developed as a residential scheme for 24 new apartments built around a vertical urban garden.
The former pub’s revival as a community hub will be joined alongside a four-storey apartment block next door. It will house one and two bed apartments, while sharing a commercial space on the ground floor.
Hulme community
Hulme Councillors Lee-Ann Igbon and Wright have been working with the owner and architect for the redevelopment of the site since 2018 to look at possibilities that would contribute to the local community.
‘We propose to redevelop the Junction Hotel as a celebration of local arts, music and culture celebrated between the local residents, university and the surrounding students’
Roost Architects
Councillor Igbon said that it had been a community led project as “engagement with residents, services and businesses took place over several months in which their thoughts, opinions and ideas had been taken into account and they fully endorsed the plans.”
Original plans after news first broke of the project, had been halted due to the pandemic.
“When the pandemic hit the development had been put on hold which was disappointing. Hearing that the development is ready to start is a great opportunity for the residents and community, and we will continue to work with the owners when construction starts and with the use of the facilities,” Councillor Igbon said.
The old pub that was also a hotel at the time, will be restored under the scheme including the two upper floors that were lost to a fire in the 1960s. These will offer two more apartments on each of the floors.
There are plans for the cellar to host theatre, arts, lectures, seminars, conferences and the highly anticipated live music events that the pub became popular for in the years leading up to its closure.
‘Engagement with residents, services and businesses took place over several months in which their thoughts, opinions and ideas had been taken into account’
Lee-Ann Igbon, Councillor for Hulme
The cellar is expected to be a flexible arts space with the focus being on students and local residents growing and creating a celebratory community together.
Roost architects
Roost Architects and its founder Simon Cape’s previous work demonstrates great craftsmanship and a clear focus on creative and innovative design. Their website states they “aim to eradicate unnecessary expenditure, delivering the finished solution on-time and on-budget.”
It is clear their motive is to build a bright and unifying community hub, “with the goal of delivering exciting, enriching architecture.”
A design and access statement said: “We propose to redevelop the Junction Hotel as a celebration of local arts, music and culture celebrated between the local residents, university and the surrounding students. We aim to help create a community of education and start-up businesses.”