An effectively designed, hard-wearing and long-lasting flat roof designed and constructed by specialists is used by many businesses as a way to maximise the usable space of their building, but in the case of one events venue, it will make the whole building usable again.

The planning approval by Sheffield City Council for work to the roof of the O2 Academy has been 16 months in the making since it was forced to close in September 2023, but the repair work could help to revitalise the local area.

The replacement roof uses a series of roof liner panels fitted on top of the existing steel structure, with a waterproof membrane laid on top of this to provide a more conventional, heavy-duty flat roof.

The reason given by the Academy Music Group, the parent company that owns many O2 Academy venues across the country, is due to the roof’s usage of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which meant that it was at risk of collapsing without notice.

Because it was cheaper, lighter and easier to install than conventional concrete, RAAC was commonly used in the 1950s and 1960s, but it had a tendency to fail and collapse without notice, which led to many buildings containing the material shutting down whilst emergency repairs were made.

The O2 Academy called the closure “temporary”, but it took well over a year before the planning application was made and approved.

This safety issue also delayed the establishment of a shipping container development nearby known as Stack, which was set to be installed between the O2 Academy and a nearby Odeon cinema.

The application noted that the flat roof work could be completed and allow the building to “reopen swiftly”, which would ideally help a beloved live music venue return safer and better than ever before.