 The building was initially planned as an extension to the students' union, but due to the financial stake provided by the university an arrangement was made to share the use of the building between the union and the university, in exchange for student union control of parts of University House.The building was opened in 1983 under the management of Stephen Ware and contributed to Sheffield being listed as one of the top ten conference towns in the UK by "Conference Britain" in 1985.The Social Democrat Party held a conference there in 1988 and degree congregations moved there from Sheffield City Hall in 1984.