Plans have been unveiled to revive one of Preston’s architectural gems by turning it into a new art gallery and conference centre. The blueprint for the Harris Institute, on Avenham Lane, would see the 175-year-old, Grade II-listed building brought back into use for the first time in almost 10 years.
As the Local Democracy Reporting Service first revealed, a cannabis factory was discovered in the building early last year. Following a subsequent break-in in February 2023, the much-loved piece of Preston history was left unsecured overnight, sparking fears that it could have been set alight. Je said: “It will also generate tourism and be a real asset to Preston – and the mixed-use that is being proposed is essential to generate revenue. It has the potential to be a creative hub and also a place for start-up businesses to be based – everything that is being proposed is spot on."
John Bridge, from Studio John Bridge, the architect behind the scheme, said a public consultation last year showed that there was “a significant amount of interest across the city in the building’s restoration”: “As a Prestonian myself, I’m proud to be working with The Harris Investment Group on this exciting project. The site in its current form is very much a blank canvas and we are still open to new and fresh ideas about the building’s future.
Meanwhile, the existing large rooms on the first floor are proposed to be renovated to enable one to house a dance studio, while another- which has no windows, only skylights – is being eyed as a space for events. The ambition, however, is to install a projector to mimic an outdoor window, with a view to the tree promenade at the front of the Institute building.
The new courtyard would be accessed from the Harris Institute’s lower basement floor and the Regent House ground floor. It would provide an outdoor space for all users of the premises, potentially with new paved areas, green walls and small trees – as well as a separate entrance for the new duplex apartments.