Adaptive Reuse
A fresh start for a forgotten corner of the town centre.
Market Place
28–30 Market Place is a long neglected 1970s building at the heart of Penzance’s retail district. Once described as an eyesore, its vacant upper floors and empty shopfront have contributed to the decline of a key part of the town centre. The project brings the building back into meaningful use through sensitive refurbishment, low-carbon upgrades, and new affordable homes for local people.
The Brief
Penzance Regeneration Company appointed Lavigne Lonsdale to transform the dilapidated building into a vibrant mixeduse development. The brief called for eight onebedroom apartments for local residents, a refurbished retail unit prioritised for independent traders, and a full thermal upgrade to reduce energy demand. The project forms part of a wider regeneration strategy supported by the Towns Fund, Future High Streets Fund, and Cornwall Council.
Our Response
The proposal retains and upgrades the existing structure, reducing embodied carbon while addressing longstanding issues of poor insulation, inefficient services, and an inactive street frontage. The refurbished ground floor retail unit reopens the building to Market Place, supporting local independent businesses and strengthening the town centre economy.
Above, eight one-bedroom apartments are created through a complete internal reconfiguration, bringing much needed affordable homes to the heart of Penzance. Each apartment is offered at 20% below market rent, supporting local people and contributing to a more balanced and resilient community.
Externally, the design softens the building’s Brutalist character with a more welcoming, contemporary expression, improving its relationship with the surrounding streetscape. Together, these interventions deliver a sustainable, community focused regeneration project that restores life and purpose to a prominent town centre site.
