Wolverhampton's Listed Buildings

The Chubb Building


Listings: 1898-9, extended early C20. By C. H. M. Mileham of London. An important example of a building relating to one of Wolverhampton's major industries, with important townscape value for the approaches to the town centre.

Awards: The "conversion and extension of a Grade II listed Victorian warehouse to provide a centre for the media and creative arts" received Civic Trust commendation in 1994.  The designer for the work was Robert Seager Design.

Comment:

The Chubb Building is now often known as the Lighthouse Media Centre or, simply, the Lighthouse.

This is one of the outstanding successes of preservation and restoration; it received many awards.

It now contains a cinema, restaurant and pub and several media companies as well as other businesses.


A photograph from the 1970s, just as refurbishment was starting.

The building was built in 1898-9 as the headquarters of Chubbs Locks and Safes. (pace the Civic Trust, it was not a warehouse but a manufactory).  When they moved out it was taken over by Baelz. 

It became empty during the 1960s and remained that way for several years. It was refurbished by a co-operation between the Borough Council and Midlands Industrial Association. 

The building was worth preserving on its own merits and also because of its importance in the city's history of lock and safe making.

By 1898 some factories were being built which were single storey with roof lighting; or more than a single room wide and relying on artificial lighting. 

But Chubbs went for a high class example of the traditional design.


The interior of the courtyard in the 1970s.

This corner, which houses a cinema amongst other things, is mostly new build. The tower echoes the original tower on the opposite corner of the building and visible in the top picture.

But this entrance to "the Lighthouse" also echoes traditional representations of another building. You often hear about "wit" in architecture.  This is a real example of it.