Red brick building with large black-framed windows and a sign reading 'The Flint' next to a street with parked cars, under a blue sky with clouds.

Utility Showroom, The Flint

Located in Liverpool’s Baltic District, The Flint is a converted two-storey brick-built taxi repair garage that now serves as a furniture & lighting showroom, digital studio, exhibition space, and office for Utility Design. This transformation reflects a broader conversation in the area, where repurposed industrial buildings are becoming hubs for independent businesses and the burgeoning creative, digital sector.

Establishing strong connections with the local neighbourhood was key in reflecting both the immediate context and Liverpool’s rich legacy as a global port city, a heritage that aligns closely with the brand’s identity. The proposal leverages the building’s industrial character, featuring a double-height showroom space and a newly constructed mezzanine accommodating the open-plan offices and meeting areas, optimising functionality while celebrating the building's architecture.

Industrial unit into furniture showroom

A spacious modern showroom with high ceilings, featuring contemporary furniture including sofas, chairs, and tables. The room has large industrial-style windows, exposed brick walls, and wooden flooring. Upstairs, there's a loft area with additional seating and decor items. Various lighting fixtures and decorative pieces are displayed throughout the space.
Isometric illustration of a modern office space with open plan areas and people engaged in various activities. The design includes desks, meeting rooms, and communal areas, surrounded by large windows and an exposed structural roof.

Furniture Showroom

Exploded Axo showing mezzanine level

Modern open-plan loft interior with exposed brick walls, featuring a mix of contemporary furniture including sofas, chairs, tables, and shelving. A staircase connects two levels, with a casual seating area on the upper level. Large windows provide natural light and a view of the street outside. Several people are interacting near the center of the room.

“As well as being home for all our key brands, it’s also the office for our digital team and a space for the architectural and design community to engage, discuss project requirements with our contract team and hold product launches. This makes it an integral part of Liverpool’s design landscape”

Richard Skelton (Client)

The project aims to retain the industrial theatrics of the original taxi garage, with the existing volume still being visible.  Externally, a sympathetic restoration included cleaning and re-pointing the brickwork in a traditional lime mortar, installing steel windows and doors and adding simple hand-painted signage.

The brief called for a sustainable approach, focusing on both material efficiency and adaptable use of space. Designed as a physical showroom to complement the online retail experience, the space features flexible zones that can be easily reconfigured for changing displays. A central goal of the conversion was to minimise waste, thereby reducing both environmental impact and costs.

To achieve this, the existing roof was preserved and upgraded with non-fibrous insulation, allowing for a quicker and simpler installation process. The use of steel and cement-based materials was kept to a minimum; instead, the ground floor, mezzanine, and partitions were constructed from locally sourced timber. Treated plywood was used to clad the ceilings, while the original roof trusses were retained to maintain the building’s character. Additionally, solar panels were installed to support energy efficiency and further reduce the building’s environmental footprint.

All project photos taken by Luke Hayes.

Interior of a modern building with exposed beams, a black-walled room, and colorful LED light strips
Industrial workshop with yellow gantry crane, ladders, blue drum on a forklift, and a person in blue overalls.

Corrugated recycled hemp fibre panels, referencing the original asbestos panels

Original asbestos corrugated panels in taxi garage

Modern office and showroom with open design, featuring a workspace with monitors and people interacting on an upper level, and a furniture display area below. Industrial-style ceiling with exposed beams and ducts.
Red brick building with "The Flint" sign on the side, featuring large windows and industrial design elements.
A person standing on a sidewalk near a curved brick building with pink window frames. The building has signs for 'Commercial Vehicle Repairs Ltd' and 'Cab Direct Service Dealer.' A street sign reads 'Flint Street.' A partially visible car is inside an open garage entrance.

Re-pointed brickwork, new steel windows and doors with hand-painted signage

Pre-construction taxi garage

Interior of a bright, modern entrance way with large windows, exposed brick walls, colorful seating, and lush green plants.
Interior of a furniture store with various sofas, chairs, and lighting fixtures on display, including pendant and chandelier lights, with a woman browsing.

Related Projects

Brick building with a sign "Hartley Hatch" and a security camera on the wall. Adjacent modern architecture with steps and a view of historical buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.

Hartley Hatch, The Pilotage

Forgotten waterfront space turned into ice cream hatch

Interior of a bar with two men, one behind the bar and one at the counter. The bar has a pink marble top, blue tiled front, and shelves with bottles. The space has brick walls, dim lighting with hanging bulbs, and large windows at the back.

Bunch

Fit out of a natural wine bar

Old brick building exterior with metal doors, a red fire alarm box, and a staircase visible inside the open doorway. Potted plants line the sidewalk.

24 Kitchen Street

Refurbishment of independent music space