York City Walls Design Guide

The York City Walls is at once a significant monument and a modern public asset at the heart of York’s complex sense of place. Building on our Conservation Management Plan for the iconic walls (2021), we were commissioned by the City of York Council to produce a visual and practical guide for repair and alteration. Aimed at decision makers, tenants and anyone involved in the care of this significant public asset, the guide first establishes a series of conservation principles, to guide change, including minimal intervention, rationalization of previous ill-considered additions, reversibility, and ensuring longer-term sustainability of the walls as a public asset. It outlines practical information on often complex consent processes and explores how to go about maximizing the potential and positive impact of a range of design scenarios from street furniture, change of use, to public and private advertising.