The Round Foundry

Round Foundry: Past

The Round Foundry was created in 1795 by a partnership of John Marshall, Mathew Murray, Fenton and Wood. It was with this foundry that Mathew Murray made his name with the production of textile machinery, steam engines and locomotives which he exported worldwide. The Round Foundry developed to become one of the world's first specialist engineering foundries. Disaster struck the foundry in the 19th century when fire destroyed many of the original buildings, including the large rotunda that gave the foundry its name. Some buildings were saved, the earliest of which dates from 1798 and includes the Green Sand and the Dry Sand Foundries.

Round Foundry: Present

The first phase of the £30 million redevelopment of this groundbreaking foundry includes the award winning Round Foundry Media Centre, which provides fully serviced office space for creative and digital media companies. The development, by CTP St James, also includes a number of restaurants, cafés and bars set around a series of courtyards that retain as much of the old character of the foundry as possible. There is also an iron plate set into the pavement to show where the famous rotunda once stood.

Completed in 2004, Phase I of the redevelopment has won numerous awards and accolades including: 'Best Creative Land Use' and 'Best Urban Centre', Yorkshire Urban Renaissance Awards 2005; 'Project of the Year', RICS Regeneration Awards 2005; 'Excellence in Architecture and Built Environment' and 'Best Commercial, Industrial and Retail', RIBA Yorkshire White Rose Awards 2005.

Round Foundry: Future

Work has already begun on Phase II and Phase III of this development that has seven listed buildings in total. Phase II is expected to be complete as early as 2007 and may include a larger extension of the acclaimed media centre.

As part of this next phase the Dry Sand Foundry, the Green Sand Foundry and 101 Water Lane will be developed in a similar style to the existing Phase I development adjacent to these sites.