April 2025
I visited with @MotionlessMike and @raisinwing after a flop at a nearby pottery works, we had a quick mooch round but didn't really shoot anything at the time . The building was a strange blend of decay and restoration. Some areas, especially in the upper office sections, showed signs of redevelopment, with fresh partition walls and signs of conversion work hinting at future student flats. But those efforts seemed abandoned mid-stride, leaving a haunting mix of sterile new plasterboard alongside moldy walls and collapsed ceilings. Despite the stripped gutted state of much of the structure, the real gem was tucked away on the first floor: Reflex, an 80's themed nightclub that looks like a quick clean, could open again tomorrow. Unlike the rest of the building, Reflex was eerily intact. The dance floor, DJ booth, and even shelves of untouched spirits and beer still lined the back bar, as if the party had paused rather than ended. Dust coated the surfaces, and sunlight filtering through the metal shutters gave the whole place an otherworldly stillness. Upstairs, very little remains of the buildings' past use with the odd bit of wooden paneling on the walls.
History
Located prominently on the corner of Foundry Street and Trinity Street, this building has played a significant role in Stoke-on-Trent’s journalistic and architectural heritage. The site became home to The Sentinel newspaper in 1874, during a period of rapid expansion for the publication. At the time, the newspaper produced both daily and weekly editions, with three editions of the daily Sentinel being printed each day. To support swift reporting, the building even featured a loft designed for carrier pigeons, which were used to deliver stories to the newsroom. The original structure on the site was redeveloped in 1937 in the Art Deco style, reflecting the modernist architectural trends of the time. As part of this redevelopment, the newspaper's printing presses were relocated in the late 1930s to adjacent premises along Foundry Street, consolidating operations in one central location.
The Sentinel remained in these offices for over a century until 1986, when operations were moved to a new facility in Etruria. Following the newspaper’s departure, the building transitioned from its industrial origins to a new life and was subsequently used to host several nightclubs. In later years, and following a change in consumer habits, the majority of these clubs would close, except for one ‘Reflex’, which was located in the area of the building that was formally home to the press. This one venue would continue to trade until March 2024 when a fire broke out in the neighboring vacant bar. Tragically, the fire claimed the life of one man. The whole building has remained empty since.
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Fujifilm X-T5, 10-24mm
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