BRIMS Construction has completed work on the new Hotel Indigo in Durham City following a detailed, year-long upgrade and conversion of the Grade II Old Shire Hall.
The £15m redevelopment of the former council headquarters in Old Elvet has been completed on schedule by the Sunderland company. The hotel and restaurant is taking bookings from March 30 and will employ 60 people.
Formerly the home of Durham County Council the 120-year-old building has been transformed into a four-star, 83-bedroom Hotel Indigo, featuring an 88-cover Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, Bar and Grill and Tinderbox Espresso Emporium.
One of the primary challenges for the construction team was retaining and enriching the richly-ornate interior which featured stained glass windows, wood panelling and an elaborately-tiled main staircase.
Jason Wood, director of Brims Construction, said: “Shire Hall is an amazingly authentic and ornate building and our staff have risen to the challenge of tastefully transforming it into a contemporary hotel.”
Elvet Developments appointed Sunderland-based Brims Construction to undertake the refurbishment following a competitive tender, ‘awarding the contract on the basis of the overall quality of Brims’ submission’.
The development was designed by architects Howarth Litchfield.
Old Shire Hall, which was built in the 1890s as the headquarters of Durham County Council, had stood vacant since late 2012.
General manager, Paul Borg, said: “The hotel is right in the heart of Durham and we feel it fills a gap in the market, with Durham tourism on the rise.
“It’s been empty for such a long time, so we are delighted to have this opportunity to bring such a beautiful building back to life.”