The Brief
Derby City Council appointed HemingwayDesign to help reimagine the newly refurbished Derby Market Hall — a £35m heritage asset — as a contemporary, seven-day destination for food, independent retail and culture.
The challenge was to honour the building’s Victorian architecture while transforming it into a modern, cosmopolitan market capable of attracting a new generation of visitors, supporting nearly 50 independent traders, and serving as a platform for start-ups and local makers. It also aimed to drive city-centre footfall and regeneration, while establishing a distinctive identity rooted in Derbyshire yet globally relevant.
Our role spanned the full customer and trader experience: defining the vision, creating the brand and identity, shaping the interior atmosphere, developing signage and wayfinding, and setting the strategic direction for programming and events.
Vision & Strategic Positioning
We positioned Derby Market Hall as “More than a market” — a social, cultural and commercial hub that blends the best of Derbyshire’s producers and makers, with a global street-food offer, and flexible spaces for events, learning and enterprise.
A core principle was the “Happy Mix”: a curated balance of traditional traders, sustainable businesses and progressive start-ups. This ensures authenticity, quality and innovation sit side-by-side, creating a destination that honors tradition while embracing the future.
The Market Hall was defined not simply as a place to buy goods, but as a meeting place, a launchpad for new businesses, and a catalyst for city-centre renewal.
Brand Strategy & Idenitiy
The brand was designed to both contrast with and complement the heritage architecture. Rather than replicate Victorian aesthetics, the identity embraces a playful, vibrant tone reflecting the energy of street food, social interaction and creative enterprise.
Key principles:
• Fun and variety to mirror the diversity of traders,
• Warm, inclusive language to appeal to broad audiences,
• Flexible visual system capable of working across traders, events and seasonal programming,
• Home-grown & high-quality positioning to signal authenticity and craft.
The tone of voice is conversational, optimistic, and community-focused, balancing credibility with approachability.
Interior FF&E
Our role included designing and specifying the furniture for the main Market Hall, with a focus on complementing the building’s ornate Victorian detailing through simplicity, functionality, and quality craftsmanship.
The design approach centred on clean, simple lines without decorative excess, prioritising durability and practicality to withstand heavy use.
Key materials included solid oak, chosen for its strength and natural finish, paired with powder-coated metal elements finished in colours that complement the Market Hall’s distinctive Victorian cherry red metalwork.
We developed several bespoke table types that emphasise honest construction and material integrity: sturdy, chunky oak communal bench tables and benches; five-seater round dining tables matching the communal tables in style and build; bistro-style café tables featuring marmoleum tops with solid oak edging; high communal bench tables with cherry red marmoleum tops, oak edging, powder-coated frames, and integrated bespoke suspended brass lighting fittings; and solid oak column standing tables.
Seating was enhanced with bespoke sofas framed in powder-coated steel, using the same profile and finish as the tables to ensure visual cohesion. Upholstery fabrics were carefully selected to reflect the brand’s colour palette.
Signage & Wayfinding
We created a clear, friendly and characterful wayfinding strategy that balances statutory clarity with brand personality.
This included external welcome signs, internal orientation and directional signage, trader and unit signs, plus playful customer touchpoints and invitations to explore.
The system is accessible, legible and scalable, while reinforcing the Market Hall’s tone and identity.
Landscape Strategy
As part of the commission, we were tasked with developing a vision and high-level landscape proposals for the public realm, focusing on activating the exterior gateway spaces to enhance interaction and connectivity between the inside and outside of the building.
Our proposals outline three distinct public spaces, each with its own identity and offer, united by a shared purpose: to extend the character of the existing architecture and the renewed market offer, to support a seamless connection between interior and exterior, and to position the Market Hall as a vibrant destination for social exchange, community, and gathering.