Prestige retail refurbishment uses column casings from Encasement
Column casings from Encasement are an integral part of the stylish transformation of a 124-year-old Grade II listed corn exchange building in Beverley, East Yorkshire, into a ‘boutique’ department store for family-owned prestige retailers, Browns.
Ten 200mm diameter ‘n-case Polyma’ column casings from Encasement not only conceal the building’s ground floor structural columns but also provide a highly aesthetic finish, which integrates with the store’s high-quality interior design.
Each column casing is manufactured from glass-reinforced polymer and is finished with a high gloss white ‘Gel-coat’, to provide a tough and durable finish. The casings are also resistant to impact and scuffing, making them ideal for high traffic retail environments.
Although the original building, which cost only £2,000 to build in 1886, combined a corn exchange, a butter market and bathhouse, it was as the town’s ‘picture playhouse’ that it is best known locally, although it showed its last film in 2002 and had stood empty until the £2 million conversions was completed earlier this year.
To create the 12,000 sq. ft of space required by Browns, the original corn exchange building and bath-house were combined and the basement was excavated to create a secure storage area, which was also subject to an archaeological dig that unearthed evidence of 16th and 17th Century market buildings.
Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, explained: “The external brick and terracotta structure from the late 1800s doesn’t prepare you for the contrast inside the new Browns of Beverley store. The interior designers and shopfitters have done an excellent job in creating a superb retail environment and we’re delighted that some of our products are on view every day alongside brands such as Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Radley.”
He added: Our Polyma casings have already proven popular in retail due to their durability and scope of colours as well as being suitable for both external and internal use. However, we have also found that our ‘Lamina’ compact laminate range and Forma metal casings are also being used for retail and other high traffic areas, such as leisure and public buildings, where the demand for cost-effective, decorative and durable column casing solutions is vital.”