New home for Grimm & Co children’s charity
Lumsden created an imaginative and practical space for the Emporium of stories
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The Rotherham-based children’s literacy charity Grimm & Co opened its new home following a 2.5-year transformation of a beautiful gothic-towered building.
With the aid of a small capital grant from Arts Council England, Lumsden, partnering with Cod Steaks, Cronin, and Hawaii Design, revitalised the late 1800s church into a castle of imagination. Repurposing elements such as wooden pews, Victorian joinery, the pulpit, and the original church organ, the transformation retains the building’s essence while shedding its religious connotations.
The whimsical building, fusing elements of retail, learning, and culinary pleasures, promises to captivate and ignite the imaginations of guests of all ages.
A Source of Imagination
Within the Emporium of Stories, visitors can discover Grimm & Co’s story-themed café, The Feastery; the Apothecary to the Magical; a versatile events and banqueting space named Cliffhanger Castle; Grizelda’s Imaginarium; and three distinct Writers’ Pad areas catering to schools, families, and storytelling enthusiasts from near and far. Each space is crafted to foster creativity and serve as an inspiring haven where imagination flourishes.
Since our first encounter with the Grimm and Co. team, we sensed the extraordinary potential of this project and through our collaboration, we have crafted something truly exceptional. Creating the Emporium of Stories has been a labour of love.
James Dwyer
Our charity uses the joyful discovery of stories to support children and young people’s literacies. The building was a disused church with beautiful gothic features that needed celebrating whilst creating a new, high quality and stunningly sensational space for all. Lumsden worked with this brief and designed something spectacular but also fabulously functional. We’ve been thrilled to be able to work with this amazing team.
Deborah Bullivant
