Silver Arcade

Silver Arcade is a historic commercial building in the centre of Leicester, England. Constructed in 1889 by Amos Hall, it was designed as a shopping arcade and became part of the city’s retail environment. The building is recognised for its architectural and historical significance and holds Grade II listed status. The arcade’s original role was to provide a covered setting for retail units. Over time, however, its commercial use changed. By 2000, the top floor had been closed, while shops and other independent businesses continued to occupy units at ground level. This partial closure reduced the building’s usable commercial capacity and prompted concern about the condition and future use of the upper parts of the property. In 2008, the Leicester Civic Society made the reopening of the arcade’s upper levels the focus of a campaign. The campaign reflected wider interest in preserving Silver Arcade as an active part of Leicester’s built heritage rather than allowing parts of the building to remain unused. In 2010, proposals were announced to reopen the top floors. These plans indicated an effort to adapt the historic structure while retaining its commercial function. A later redevelopment proposal was announced in 2019. It envisaged converting two floors of the building into office accommodation, providing a new use for space that had previously been closed or underused. This represented a shift from the arcade’s original retail-only role toward a mixed commercial model combining shops and offices. Following a refurbishment project reported to have cost £3 million, businesses were operating on the ground floor and some upper floors by 2025. Silver Arcade therefore remains an active commercial property, although its current role differs from that of a conventional shopping brand. Its identity is based on the historic building, its location, independent occupiers, and the continuing adaptation of a nineteenth-century retail structure to contemporary business use.

Silver Arcade was built in 1889 in central Leicester, England, by Amos Hall. It was established as a covered shopping arcade, a format that provided retail units within a distinctive architectural setting and formed part of the city’s late-nineteenth-century commercial development. The building’s historical and architectural importance is reflected in its Grade II listed status. The arcade continued to contain independent retailers, but its use became less complete over time. In 2000, the top floor was closed off, leaving the ground-floor units in active commercial use. The closure created a long-term question about how the building could be preserved and used effectively while retaining its historic character. In 2008, the Leicester Civic Society launched a campaign centred on reopening the upper floors. The campaign drew attention to the value of Silver Arcade as both a heritage asset and a functioning part of Leicester’s city centre. Plans announced in 2010 proposed reopening the upper levels, suggesting that the building could be adapted rather than left partially inaccessible. The direction of redevelopment developed further in 2019, when plans were announced to convert two floors into office accommodation. This proposal acknowledged changing patterns of central-city property use and introduced a mixed-use model in which offices could complement the independent shops traditionally associated with the arcade. A refurbishment project costing a reported £3 million subsequently supported the building’s continued use. By 2025, businesses were open on the ground floor and on some upper floors. Silver Arcade’s history is therefore one of adaptation: a Victorian shopping arcade that moved from a primarily retail purpose toward a combination of independent retail and office use, while remaining a listed building in Leicester’s historic centre.

• 2025

  Commercial use expands after refurbishment

  [1]Silver Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  Following a reported £3 million refurbishment, businesses were operating on the ground floor and some upper floors.

• 2019

  Office conversion proposal announced

  [1]Silver Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  A later proposal outlined the conversion of two floors into office space.

• 2010

  Upper-floor reopening plans announced

  [1]Silver Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  Plans were announced to reopen the previously closed upper levels.

• 2008

  Reopening campaign begins

  [1]Silver Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  The Leicester Civic Society made the reopening of the upper floors the focus of a civic campaign.

• 2000

  Top floor closes

  [1]Silver Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  The top floor was closed, while independent retailers continued occupying ground-floor units.

• 1889

  Silver Arcade is built

  [1]Silver Arcadeen.wikipedia.org

  Amos Hall constructed Silver Arcade in central Leicester as a covered shopping arcade.

A heritage commercial property and former shopping arcade positioned as part of central Leicester’s historic retail and business environment. Its contemporary role combines independent retail and office uses within a Grade II listed building.

• Retail property · 1889

  Ground-floor retail units

  The ground floor contains units used by independent retailers. These shops represent the continuation of Silver Arcade’s original commercial function, although the arcade now operates as a property hosting multiple businesses rather than as a single retail brand.

• Office property · 2019

  Upper-floor office space

  Upper-floor accommodation was proposed for office use as part of the building’s later adaptation. By 2025, some upper floors were occupied by businesses, reflecting the arcade’s transition toward mixed retail and office use.

• 2008Leicester Civic Society Silver Arcade reopening campaign

  Leicester, England

  The Leicester Civic Society campaigned to reopen the arcade’s upper floors, which had been closed since 2000. The effort presented the building as both a heritage asset and a viable part of Leicester’s city-centre commercial fabric.

  Outcome. Reopening plans were announced in 2010, although the later redevelopment direction included office conversion and broader mixed commercial use.

  Source

• 2025

  Completion of major refurbishmentOther

  Background

  Silver Arcade had undergone a long period of partial closure and redevelopment planning.

  Action taken

  A reported £3 million refurbishment supported the reopening and occupation of ground-floor and some upper-floor premises.

  Aftermath

  The building continued operating as a mixed commercial property with retail and business uses.

  Refurbishment cost. £3 million refurbishment (By 2025)

  Source

• 2019

  Proposal to convert two floors into officesStrategy

  Background

  The building required a sustainable contemporary use for upper floors that had been closed or underused.

  Action taken

  A proposal was announced to convert two floors of Silver Arcade into office space.

  Aftermath

  After refurbishment, businesses were operating on the ground floor and some upper floors by 2025.

  Source

• 2010

  Plan to reopen the upper floorsStrategy

  Background

  The top floor had been closed since 2000, limiting the building’s active commercial use.

  Action taken

  Plans were announced to reopen the upper floors and return more of the historic building to use.

  Aftermath

  Later proposals in 2019 shifted toward converting two floors into office accommodation.

  Source

1. 1Silver Arcadeen.wikipedia.org