This is a remarkable and striking building with two sweeping rounded corners on two junctions, Duke St and Printing Office St.   It was designed by TH Johnson and William Crabtree, probably in 1937, for the Doncaster Co operative Society as their flagship store. Crabtree had previously designed another store for Peter Jones in London in a similar style.  The rounded corners of the Co op building consist of the two curved glass display windows.   Building commenced in 1938 and by 1940 it is believed the ground floor was trading. The war prevented any further building and it wasn't completed until well after hostilities had ended.

It is steel framed and clad in brick but also with much use of curved glass and cladding in tiles made of vitrolite.

Unfortunately in recent times there has been no demand for such a huge retail space. Today it houses apartments with retail only present on the ground floor. It is a shame that the public can no longer see the interior.

This building was perhaps the ultimate in rounded corners but it also marked the end of the strategy to round corners. After the war they were out of fashion and after 150 years the Borough abandoned its policy to encourage or help finance them. Buildings with hard edges held sway instead. In recent years though there has been an increased appreciation of these rounded corners as more people realise how much they contribute to the town. Later we will see more modern examples.