DLG’s involvement with Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre goes back some 20 years, initially working with the previous owners to simplify some of the 80’s interiors. Although located in the heart of Ipswich’s historic centre and connecting the town’s main bus station to one of the main shopping streets, twenty years on the centre was failing to attract enough permanent and recognisable tenants made worse by the departure of the anchor department store which had been the focus of the centre.
LaSalle Investment Management bought the centre four years ago with a view to turn around its fortunes with a phased investment to refurbish and improve the centre. Our involvement this time round started with the subdivision of the former department store to bring in new tenants into the centre, and earlier this year works started to remodel the entrances and fully refurbish the interior. Works are now near complete following an intensive program of works carried out by Barnes construction.
The process began with the development of a new brand and name for the centre created by NextBigThing branding consultants. The centre was to be renamed Sailmakers and its new brand was to build on the towns maritime heritage as a major centre for sail fabrication with the architecture and interiors to focus on a language of the docks of Ipswich.