Gatecrasher One
Encyclopedia
Gatecrasher One was a nightclub in city of Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England
. The club was a converted warehouse owned by the Gatecrasher
dance music brand. The nightclub was originally named The Republic, but this was changed in 2003 after a £1.5 million refurbishment. On 18 June 2007 the venue caught fire and partially collapsed. The building was later demolished.
Gatecrasher One started life as the Roper and Wreaks works, on Matilda street, and was constructed around 1910. The building was a two story brick built warehouse
and remained an industrial building until 1986.
In 1991 a planning application to convert the building into offices was submitted. These plans were never carried out and a number of applications were submitted to convert the building into a nightclub
. The conversion took place in 1996.
The club was initially a financial failure, failing to attract the numbers expected. The fortunes of the club were changed when, in 1996, the Gatecrasher
night started to use the building for Saturday night events, initially as a few one off events, eventually becoming Gatecrasher's permanent home.
The rise in success of the Gatecrasher brand coincided with financial troubles for the owner, leading to Gatecrasher buying the venue at a reportedly six figure sum.
Gatecrasher continually improved the venue, adding a VIP room and replacing the original crane in the main room with the lighting rig arches.
In 2003, Gatecrasher repositioned the brand and after a refurbishment, decided to rename the club. The Gatecrasher brand planned a large expansion of clubs, and the "one" in the name was to be the first of 10 clubs. The other clubs are not however called 2, 3, 4, and 5. (Leeds
, Nottingham
, Birmingham
and Watford
)
The conversion from a warehouse to a nightclub was designed by Mills Beaumont Leavey, a Manchester based architect, who proposed to keep the main body of the building but to create a new extension in a Postmodernist style. Internally the building was split into five distinct areas; the Foyer, Main Room, Electric Box, the Lounge and the VIP Pod. The Building was constructed on sloping topography and therefore the five areas were on differing levels with Main room being the lowest, Lounge the highest with Foyer and Electric Box in-between. VIP shared the same floor space as Lounge.
The focal point of the club was the main room. This was roughly a square double height room with a balcony on two sides. The front and rear of the room were small stages, with the DJ booth originally positioned on the front stage. Over the years a dedicated raised booth was constructed. Railings were positioned around the dance floor area and on the stage. The front stage railings were later removed and replaced with steps.
One of the key features of the club was the raised walkway from the foyer to the second upstairs room. The walkway formed a bridge at the back of the foyer offering views across the room.
The cloak room was accessed via steps from the foyer to a basement level.
The club was very much characterised by the number of stairs, doors and small separate areas.
Gatecrasher employed Matt Rawlinson of Raw design to carry out the interior design of the building, carrying out a number of refits and makeovers. The addition of booths next to the dance floor was the last major alteration before the fire.
Gatecrasher One had a bespoke Opus sound system, three DJ boxes and always had a reputation for top quality laser equipment. Events were held throughout the week with Crasher the flagship night held monthly.
On the evening of 18 June 2007 Gatecrasher One caught fire and partially collapsed. Smoke could be seen across the city. There were only a small number of staff in the building at the time and they evacuated the building safely. No official cause or explanation for the fire has been released. It was believed that the fire started in the DJ box in the main room. Following the fire council officers stated that they wanted the building to be saved if possible. Further inspections by structural engineers revealed that the building was beyond repair and that any attempt to restore the building would be unsafe. Consequently the buildings were demolished. The building had been held in great affection by the people who had used it. After the fire a single bunch of flowers were left on the fence with a note that read "The music, the lights, the spirit of the people. We will always remember you".
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The club was a converted warehouse owned by the Gatecrasher
Gatecrasher
Gatecrasher is an international clubbing brand made famous by the Gatecrasher dance music events held at the Gatecrasher One nightclub in Sheffield, England during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The event received awards such as "Club Of The Year" at the Ericsson Muzik Magazine Dance Awards in...
dance music brand. The nightclub was originally named The Republic, but this was changed in 2003 after a £1.5 million refurbishment. On 18 June 2007 the venue caught fire and partially collapsed. The building was later demolished.
History
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
and remained an industrial building until 1986.
In 1991 a planning application to convert the building into offices was submitted. These plans were never carried out and a number of applications were submitted to convert the building into a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. The conversion took place in 1996.
The club was initially a financial failure, failing to attract the numbers expected. The fortunes of the club were changed when, in 1996, the Gatecrasher
Gatecrasher
Gatecrasher is an international clubbing brand made famous by the Gatecrasher dance music events held at the Gatecrasher One nightclub in Sheffield, England during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The event received awards such as "Club Of The Year" at the Ericsson Muzik Magazine Dance Awards in...
night started to use the building for Saturday night events, initially as a few one off events, eventually becoming Gatecrasher's permanent home.
The rise in success of the Gatecrasher brand coincided with financial troubles for the owner, leading to Gatecrasher buying the venue at a reportedly six figure sum.
Gatecrasher continually improved the venue, adding a VIP room and replacing the original crane in the main room with the lighting rig arches.
In 2003, Gatecrasher repositioned the brand and after a refurbishment, decided to rename the club. The Gatecrasher brand planned a large expansion of clubs, and the "one" in the name was to be the first of 10 clubs. The other clubs are not however called 2, 3, 4, and 5. (Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
)
Club
The focal point of the club was the main room. This was roughly a square double height room with a balcony on two sides. The front and rear of the room were small stages, with the DJ booth originally positioned on the front stage. Over the years a dedicated raised booth was constructed. Railings were positioned around the dance floor area and on the stage. The front stage railings were later removed and replaced with steps.
One of the key features of the club was the raised walkway from the foyer to the second upstairs room. The walkway formed a bridge at the back of the foyer offering views across the room.
The cloak room was accessed via steps from the foyer to a basement level.
The club was very much characterised by the number of stairs, doors and small separate areas.
Gatecrasher employed Matt Rawlinson of Raw design to carry out the interior design of the building, carrying out a number of refits and makeovers. The addition of booths next to the dance floor was the last major alteration before the fire.
Gatecrasher One had a bespoke Opus sound system, three DJ boxes and always had a reputation for top quality laser equipment. Events were held throughout the week with Crasher the flagship night held monthly.
2007 fire