Daniel Morgans writes about ways to revitalise former department store buildings

Associate Director Daniel Morgans has written an Insight paper, ‘Repurposing the Department Store’, in which he examines the rise and fall of the once-powerful retail format before looking at possible ways of regenerating department store buildings to give them a new purpose.

As a key member of our UK Concept Design team, Daniel has been well placed to observe the problems facing the department store format in recent years. With several well-known names closing or reducing in scale, he observes that demolition of the buildings in which they sit will be necessary in many cases; however, several department stores sit within listed buildings, or form an important part of the surrounding built environment, where demolition is not an option, while other department store spaces will be more easily repurposed.

His analysis, which uses data from CACI Property Consulting Group, is accompanied by his evaluation of a series of possible solutions for repurposing these buildings, along with their potential benefits and drawbacks.

Having coordinated teams on large mixed-use developments across the UK, Europe and further afield, Daniel has considerable expertise in assessing the commercial and social sustainability of various mixes of use within a development, particularly in urban regeneration contexts. He brings his experience to bear in his assessment of possible ways in which department store buildings can be revitalised to once more act as focal points for our town and city centres.

To read Daniel’s Insight paper, please click here.