West Bar, Sheffield

Introduction

West Bar Sheffield is a prestigious new development in Sheffield’s Business District, located at the very heart of the city. The new mixed-use building will cover 1M sq.ft. and is part of a £300 million regeneration scheme. When finished, it will house offices, shops, leisure spaces, a hotel, living space and integrated parking.

Sustainability is at the heart of the new West Bar neighbourhood, with the £3.6m Grey to Green initiative leading the way. This scheme has already transformed the area by planting wildflowers, bulbs, trees, and grasses, while also enhancing pedestrian and cycling spaces. The goal is to make West Bar a vibrant, attractive, and sustainable destination to draw in businesses, workers, and visitors around the clock.

Main contractors for the project, Bowmer and Kirkland, along with architectural team 5plus Architects specified Knauf’s full system of plasterboard, drylining, jointing and accessories throughout the entire build.

The building materials were supplied by Knauf merchant CCF Sheffield and installed by subcontractors K10 Systems Ltd.

Results

Callum Connor, Commercial Manager at K10 Systems Ltd, also highlighted the extra mile Knauf goes in its technical support: “Knauf were extremely attentive and supportive from the very get go, and they were often present on site. Whenever we, or Bowmer and Kirkland needed any help, they were on hand straight away. Using the full-system from Knauf helps in this respect, because they are invested in supporting heavily and are able to provide good technical support for each product.”

In terms of the products, Callum was particularly impressed with the quality of Knauf Airless Finish: “The quality of the spray-on plaster is clear from the first application, which means very little snags for us further down, this makes it preferable for us over traditional skim.”

Knauf’s Ready-Mixed Airless Finish provides an extremely efficient alternative to traditional plastering methods, proving to be quicker to install while also providing a higher quality finish.

Mark Hubbard, Director at Wing Plastering, who was responsible for the application of Knauf’s Airless Finish on the West Bar project commented on the ease of the product: “West Bar was our client’s first project in the region using Knauf Airless Spray. We had only used it once before, however, the outstanding results soon overcame any initial scepticism. This directly led to a further job at Whitehall Riverside, where we are on track to deliver 500 high-quality apartments in a little over six months, an unbelievable rate of efficiency.

“The support from Encon & Nevill Long and Knauf UK & Ireland have been key to helping us achieve this. I have a strong relationship with Jack Bowman [External Sales – Nevill Long], while Vidette Smith at Encon Leeds [Business Unit Manager – Nevill Long] and Jon at Knauf have done a marvellous job in making sure we have what we need, when we need it.”

By integrating Knauf’s comprehensive range of products and receiving technical support throughout the build, the development team was able to deliver on their vision for a dynamic, eco-friendly urban space. As it moves toward completion, West Bar is poised to become a thriving hub for businesses, residents, and visitors alike.