Corstorphine & Wright takes over plans to regenerate 1920s Wolverhampton department store

Corstorphine & Wright has replaced St Albans practice Yoop Architects on plans to reimagine a 1920s former department store in Wolverhampton.

The practice has submitted fresh designs for the Beatties store, which has been vacant since 2020 when its last occupier House of Fraser moved out.

Yoop’s proposals for the site were approved in 2021 and would have seen the partial demolition of some existing buildings and the construction of additional storeys at roof level. The plans were designed for former building owner SSYS, which went into receivership in November 2023.

Corstorphine & Wright’s updated scheme for new owner The Eden Property Group includes the same amount of commercial space and 306 new homes, but with lowered building heights and optimised internal layouts.

Its public realm components and communal amenities have also been enhanced to better ensure the building’s historic fabric is protected, according to the practice.

A single-storey extension which had partly filled in a concave facade on the eastern side of the building will be removed, restoring the curve of the facade to ground level. 

A historic arcade route running through the building will also be reinstated, leading to a courtyard of terraced gardens within the site.

Corstorphine & Wright director David Crosthwait said: “With a deep respect for the building’s historic features and a commitment to reusing as much of the existing fabric as possible, this sensitive approach minimises further demolition, significantly reduces the need for additional strengthening works and helps to preserve significant embodied carbon.”

Practice associate Rebecca Platt added: “Reintroduction of the historic elements on Victoria Street opens up the public realm and forms a new focal point for café culture and public events, it’s a key element of the scheme that we are really excited to see realised. 

“We hope this will enhance and revitalise the street, positively stimulating broader regeneration in Wolverhampton. We are looking forward to bringing new life to this beloved landmark, ensuring Beatties remains at the heart of the city centre.” 

The locally listed Beatties store has been a Wolverhampton landmark for more than a century, first trading on the site in 1877. House of Fraser acquired the site in 2005.