Further strengthening ISG’s existing relationship with Aviva Investors, this latest scheme involves the transformation of the 36,500 sq ft site, which encompasses the iconic 19th century Queen Street façade of the Guildhall, the 13th century St Pancras Church and the impressive barrel-vaulted Queen Street Ambulatory. Queen Street Dining at Guildhall is an ambitious development that builds upon the success of Exeter’s burgeoning cultural quarter and will act as the catalyst for further investment in the city’s evening and night time economy.
The complex, multi-phased project, designed by architects BDP, will be delivered while the popular Guild Hall Shopping Centre and public realm space remains open. Retaining and conserving the Queen Street façade, ISG will carefully install piled foundations to support a two-storey steel frame superstructure to house the new restaurant facilities. The company will also strip out and reconfigure an existing concrete framed retail unit, extend the building by a further storey and form a roof top terraced area for diners.
To create an attractive and multi-functional public realm space, Aviva Investors has sought to create three distinct public square areas. This large space will be comprehensively upgraded and ISG will reconfigure the existing landscaping design, installing a high quality granite surface with amphitheatre-style seating steps. An additional two pedestrian link bridges will be installed to enhance accessibility to the heart of Queen Street Dining at Guildhall.