Newspaper building restored for 100th anniversary

Crowd gathered on the building's balcony after the scaffolding was removed

A former newspaper publishing house in East Sussex is celebrating its 100th birthday after a five-year project brought it back to life.

The Observer Building (OB), in Hastings, had been derelict after it was abandoned in 1985. But on Valentine’s Day in 2019, community group Hastings Commons got the keys and began lovingly restoring it.

“It’s certainly been a long process,” said Dr Jess Steele, CEO of Hasting Commons. “The building was pretty terrible when we got it.”

The OB was built in 1924 and was home to the Hastings & St Leonards Observer. Now, it is a creative working space, with 12 affordable flats also set to open on the fourth floor.

“It’s been an absolute labour of love,” said Dr Steele. “It’s such a beautiful façade.

"When the scaffolding came down about three weeks ago, it was so exciting to see.”

The OB hosts events in a space on the ground floor and is home to a technology hub, a gym, a bar, and terrace area, as well as a “youth-focused” space.