Barnsley’s The Glass Works

IBI Group’s masterplan for Barnsley town centre has transformed a 1970’s-style internal shopping mall-based town centre. The masterplan anchors new retail, leisure, and community offerings around a new Main Square, redefining the centre of Barnsley with terraced landscaping representative of the ‘craggy’ Pennine landscape including cascading water features, stone walls, and planting. 

Flexible hard space for events and outdoor dining opportunities make the new square a focal destination and support greater civic cohesion. The square will also be the site of a new memorial to the efforts of the many key workers who have played important roles during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Glass Works is an ambitious regeneration project now approaching completion. Phase one completed in 2020 and comprised a new community-focused Library, Market Hall, and The Market Kitchen – a new food and drink offer for Barnsley. Completing in 2021, phase two introduces new leisure, entertainment and retail offerings set around extensive new public realm, designed to support resilience and community within Barnsley’s new civic and commercial centre.

Winner of Urban Design Group’s Practice Award in 2016 the master planned scheme has gone on to win over twelve other property development, planning and regeneration awards, including the 2021 Planning Award for Regeneration.