Wigan’s Civic opens this weekend
Developer Capital&Centric and main contractor Workspace Design & Build have finished transforming the 1970s Brutalist block into 32,000 sq ft of modern workspace.
Work on turning the former Wigan civic centre into offices began last year. The building’s metamorphosis has included the addition of a miniature cinema, rooftop terrace, and café-bar Cotton. There are co-working spaces, private offices, and a variety of meeting rooms.
While distinctly “new”, the workspace has retained part of its original charm including waffle ceilings, corduroy-textured concrete walls, and its statement windows.
“Civic was built to make a statement, and we wanted to do the same with the transformation,” said John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric.
“It’s more than an office, it’s a proper community for people doing interesting stuff,” he continued.
“From the building’s Brutalist character to the vibe we’re creating inside, it’s a world away from your average workplace. Whether you’re going solo or building a team, this is a space where you can grow and connect with others doing the same.”
Support for Civic came from Wigan Council’s successful Town Deal bid, with the local authority partnering with Capital&Centric on the delivery.
Wigan Council Leader Cllr David Molyneux welcomed the news of the building’s opening.
“The opening of Civic marks a significant milestone for Wigan and represents real progress in the regeneration of our town centre,” Molyneux said.
“With its mix of modern office space and the publicly accessible Cotton, Civic is set to become a vibrant hub for businesses, creatives and the wider community.”
Wigan Pride volunteers will be the first to use the space. Civic will be a base of operations for the Wigan Pride celebrations this weekend.
Soon after, public sector-oriented tech company Agilisys will be moving in. The business has relocated its North West operations from Rochdale to Wigan, taking 4,400 sq ft on Civic’s second floor.
The project team behind Civic includes architect ShedKM, landscape architect Planit, building services engineer Crookes Walker Consulting, and structural engineer Civic Engineers.
Members of the project team spoke about the quirks of retrofitting an office at Place North West’s Offices + Workspace conference last year. At the time, Shedkm practice director Mark Sidebotham was asked how he handled criticism that Civic was ‘ugly’ by virtue of being a Brutalist building.
“Good design should not sit on the fence,” he said. “Something that sits on the fence is boring. This creates discussion.”
You can find out more about Civic by searching application reference number A/23/96412/FULL on Wigan Council’s planning portal.
2025 is proving to be a year of transformation for Wigan. In addition to the opening of Civic, work is well underway on delivering leisure venue STACK at the former Debenhams, Heaton Group’s £180m Cotton Works quarter, and the £135m mixed-use Fettlers project on the former Galleries shopping centre.
