Buile Hill Mansion Salford

Location

Salford

Status

Completed 2026

Sector

Hospitality

Client

Salford City Council

A historic civic building reimagined as a hospitality-led destination for community and celebration.

Buile Hill Mansion, a Grade II-listed building set within Buile Hill Park, has been brought back into public use following an £11m transformation led by Salford City Council.

Vacant for over 25 years, the 19th-century mansion has been reimagined as a café and events venue, alongside its role as the city’s official register office, creating a destination that supports both everyday use and significant life moments. A bar element supports private functions and events.

A historic stone building with modern glass extension, surrounded by a park with benches, tables, trees, and a fence under a clear blue sky.

SpaceInvader was appointed to reimagine the interiors, developing a concept that brings together civic and hospitality functions through a series of flexible, connected spaces.

The brief required the building to operate across multiple uses, from public café visitors and park users to weddings, ceremonies and community events, demanding a careful balance between accessibility, commercial viability and a high-quality hospitality experience.

Elegant hotel lobby with marble floor, green chairs, a small side table, and a large window with sliding doors leading outside. The ceiling features decorative moldings with built-in lighting, and wall lights illuminate the space. There is a sign on the wall indicating accessible features.

The project also required careful coordination between heritage restoration, operational functionality and contemporary accessibility standards.

Spaces needed to support civic services, weddings, hospitality use and community activity simultaneously, while respecting the architectural significance of the listed building and ensuring long-term viability.

Looking down a staircase in a house, featuring ornate black wrought iron railings, wooden steps, a small table with pink flowers, and hanging glass pendant lights.

On the first floor, ceremony and function spaces are arranged as a sequence, allowing weddings and events to flow seamlessly from arrival through to celebration.

Flexibility underpins the project, enabling spaces to adapt between day and night, public and private use, and a range of event sizes.

Across the building, restored architectural features sit alongside contemporary interventions, including bespoke lighting, integrated joinery and new ceiling details designed to support both atmosphere and operational performance.

Interior of a bright, spacious room with high coffered ceiling, large windows, green and white walls, and round tables with chairs arranged around them.

Wayfinding and signage are fully integrated into the overall approach, supporting a clear and intuitive user journey throughout the building. Graphic elements, influenced by historic patterns and the key motif, help guide visitors between civic and hospitality functions while reinforcing the project’s identity.

The design approach is rooted in unlocking the building and reintroducing it to the public. Early inspiration came from objects discovered on site, including a collection of old keys, which informed the wayfinding language and wider identity.

This idea was layered with references to The Secret Garden, long associated with the mansion, informing both the project narrative and the café’s connection to the surrounding landscape.

A grand interior feature of a home with a marble tiled floor, a staircase with ornate black metal railings, and a small table with a floral arrangement near the bottom of the staircase.

A third strand draws from the building’s Georgian heritage, expressed through a soft palette of greens and mauves, alongside reinstated detailing and heritage-inspired materials.

Internally, the spaces are organised around a clear and intuitive spatial journey. Visitors arrive into a central reception space, where the restored staircase provides a strong visual anchor and point of orientation. From here, movement is directed towards the upper floors, which house the register office and ceremony spaces, or towards the more informal hospitality areas at ground level.

A modern bathroom with green subway tile walls, a wall-mounted sink, and a window with frosted glass. There are wall sconces and a mirror next to a shower area with a wooden partition and patterned tile flooring.

Material choices reinforce this versatility, combining durability with a level of finish expected in hospitality environments.

A layered palette of marble-effect tiling, timber finishes and mosaic flooring references the building’s heritage, while elements such as antique mirrors, panelling and brass detailing introduce depth and character.

Softer tones and natural references connect the interiors to the surrounding park, reinforcing the relationship between inside and out.

Living room with large windows and beige curtains, modern chandelier, wall sconces, mirror, pink chairs, gray sofa, small round table with plant, and a TV stand.

“Giving what had become a tired local asset such a major transformation has been a real joy for the SpaceInvader and wider project teams.

Buile Hill Mansion is now a place for community and celebration; a venue people will use and visit for generations to come.”

— John Williams, Founder & Director, SpaceInvader

A bright dining area with multiple round tables, black chairs, and large windows letting in natural light. Stylish ceiling design and decorative wall panels are visible.

The Secret Garden Café opens onto the park, creating a relaxed, public-facing environment for daily use, while the adjoining bar introduces a richer, more atmospheric setting, designed to be activated during events and private functions.

Wayfinding and signage are fully integrated into the overall approach, supporting a clear and intuitive user journey throughout the building.

Graphic elements, influenced by historic patterns and the key motif, help guide visitors between civic and hospitality functions while reinforcing the project’s identity.

A spacious, elegant room set up for a conference or event, featuring rows of wooden chairs with cushioned seats facing toward the front. The room has decorative wall panels, framed artwork, wall-mounted lamps, large windows with curtains, and a coffered ceiling with recessed lighting.

Now reopened, Buile Hill Mansion once again plays an active role in the life of the city, operating as both a civic facility and hospitality destination.

The project demonstrates how heritage buildings can be reimagined for contemporary use, creating spaces that are commercially viable, socially valuable and deeply connected to their local context.

Interior view of a bar area with a white coffered ceiling, hanging pendant lights, large windows, a black bar counter with taps, and bar stools. The room has light-colored walls with green wainscoting and a view of outdoor trees and lampposts.

Project Team: Salford City Council I Buttress Architects I Identity Consult I Desco I John Turner Construction Group Ltd I Kepczyk Pearce Sanderson I Telegraph Furniture

Photography Credits: Franklin & Franklin