York Mansion House Refurbishment – The Opening Doors project

Client:
City of York Council
Sector:
Heritage, Leisure
Project Value:
£1.1m
Duration:
11 weeks
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Project Overview

York Mansion House is an outstanding Georgian town house, located in the heart of the historic city of York. It has been the official home of the Lord Mayors of York since its completion in 1732 and has played a central role in civic history over the centuries. The House has a special connection to William Birch, with both William Henry Birch (1921) and Jack Birch (1975) holding the position of Lord Mayor of York.

Our restoration works carefully re-imagined the building to support its future use while respecting its historic significance. Previously, the house functioned as both a residence for the Lord Mayor and workplace, with private rooms sitting alongside the grand State Room. Through sensitive alteration and repair, we helped open up the building to make its remarkable history more accessible, transforming it into a flexible events venue and visitor attraction.

The project included the repair and conservation of several of the building’s most significant spaces, including the Historic Kitchen, the Silver Galleries, and the meticulous restoration of the State Room. The works were delivered with the clear intention of “Opening Doors”, enabling wider public access while safeguarding the character, craftsmanship, and heritage value of this exceptional building.

Scope of Works

The aim of the project was to increase public access to the building and its heritage, display its collections and carry out essential restoration work making the house a leading local and regional centre for learning and discovery about civic democracy and local history. 

The works undertaken included:
  • Strengthening works to the state room ceiling and redecoration
  • New mechanical and electrical and ventilation  installation
  • Creation of new modern catering kitchen
  • Creation of replica of the 18th Century kitchen
  • New lead roof coverings
  • Ornate redecoration throughout the house
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Challenges & Our Approach

Structural stability

Like many buildings of this age (the Mansion House dates back to 1726) – the House has moved over the last 300 years, as a result of its poor foundations, almost literally built on sand. Some of the centuries-old timbers supporting the third floor and the State Room ceiling had warped and twisted over time.

There was therefore a significant amount of Temporary Works Design required to ensure the structural stability of the building during the works. This allowed twelve steel beams to be put in place to support and stabilise the third floor of the building, while down below in the basement new concrete foundations were poured to underpin the entire building.

Outcome

Now re-open the civic collections are on display, with a working Georgian kitchen in the house, public access has been greatly improved and there is a whole new programme of activities and learning opportunities for visitors.

The project received several recognitions for its heritage and conservation excellence. It was shortlisted for a RIBA Yorkshire Award in 2018, recognising its architectural quality and sensitive restoration of a Grade I listed building. It also won accolades at the York Design Awards, including the Lord Mayor’s Award and the Best Conservation/Restoration Award for its outstanding contribution to preserving and enhancing a historic civic landmark.

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