The Three Lives of a Sheffield Icon

The building known under the various titles of Sheffield Wholesale House, Hambleden House or, most recently, Exchange Place Studios will be the subject of this exciting new exhibition exploring the three lives of this iconic Sheffield building, created in partnership with University of Sheffield MA History student Amanda Marshall.

The building began its life in 1922 as a wholesale house for W. H. Smith. It was the first six-storey building in Sheffield and dominated the thriving Castlegate area.  Sheffield Transport Department took over stewardship in 1966 and after significant alterations to the structure the new head offices were officially opened in 1969. They remained open to members of the public requesting timetables and route maps until, in 2009, the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive moved into its newly built office space on Broad Street West.

After years of deliberation over the building’s fate, and with the threat of demolition very real, Yorkshire Artspace worked with Sheffield City Council to bring the building back from the brink. The building now houses 63 studios offering affordable workspace for a thriving community of over 80 artists and craftspeople.

This fascinating and diverse history will be explored through archive photographs, firsthand accounts, maps and artefacts.

Launching 10am on Tuesday April 1st 2014 with tea and cake. Exhibition open 10am - 4pm until Saturday April 5th after which the majority of the photographs will remain viewable from the street.

With thanks to South Yorkshire Transport Museum, Picture Sheffield, Sheffield City Council, Arts Council England and University of Sheffield.