Telephone House

Telephone House

Seen from the junction of The Moor and Furnival Gate.
General information
Status Under refurbishment
Type Office (1972–2012)
Residential (from 2015)
Location Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Coordinates 53°22′42″N 1°28′25″W / 53.378343°N 1.473686°W / 53.378343; -1.473686Coordinates: 53°22′42″N 1°28′25″W / 53.378343°N 1.473686°W / 53.378343; -1.473686
Completed 1972
Owner Vita
Height
Roof 56 m (184 ft)
Top floor 56 m (184 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 15
(16 from 2015)
Design and construction
Developer The General Post Office

Telephone House, also known as the BT Tower, is a high-rise building on Wellington Street, near Charter Row in Sheffield city centre. It is 56 metres tall and has fifteen floors.

History

Completed in 1972, it was until 2012 utilised by BT in order to manage Sheffield's phone networks. It was built on the site of council housing towards the end of the 1960s/1970s regeneration of Sheffield.[1] Part of the lower stories of the building now form a large multi-storey car park and the Villa Mercedes Gentlemen's Club.

In January 2012, a business consortium comprising companies Ace Liberty and Stone purchased the building,[2] and BT fully vacated in October later that year. Around 400 BT workers and agency staff were made redundant due to the move, although some employees were offered the chance to take up work at Plusnet's Sheffield offices, as the company is a division of BT.[3]

Student accommodation

In March 2014, Telephone House was purchased by developer Vita, who intend to convert the building into 347 'high-standard' apartments for students attending Sheffield's two universities (Hallam and Sheffield). The value of the project is estimated at around £35 million and the redevelopment of the building will involve a complete refurbishment of the interior and a facelift for the exterior, with all the windows being replaced, while retaining the original look of the building. A sixteenth floor will be added containing luxury penthouses and suites. The ground and basement floors, currently used as a car park, will be used for communal facilities such as a gym, cinema, games room, laundry room and reception area.[4]

Refurbishment work began in July 2014 and is expected to be complete by August 2015.

Work is now complete on the old Telephone House building. Now named Vita Student Sheffield the refurbished old BT building is now luxury student accommodation with State-of-the-art gym facility onsite exclusive for the tenants

References

  1. ↑ "Telephone House". Skyscraper News.
  2. ↑ http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/63999-/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/bt-pledges-jobs-are-safe-as-hq-shuts-1-3318556
  4. ↑ http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/flats-plan-for-heart-of-city-1-6483800


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