Modelajna, a ‘safe studio’ for women’s tattoos has its future in the balance after the building housing the business collapsed.
The building, located on London Road in Lowfield, collapsed in the early hours Sunday morning, before residents were evacuated from a number of flats surrounding the vulnerable building.
Residents are currently in hotels, and there is no confirmed date for them to return.
A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said that ‘nobody has been hurt in the incident’ and that emergency services are trying to return people to their homes ‘as soon as possible’.
Paula Zalewska, the owner of Modelajna has had been forced to close her tattoo parlour following on the collapse
In a social media statement following the evacuation, she said: “The building has collapsed and affected my studio.
“At the moment I cannot enter and collect my equipment which leaves me unable to work”.
In the days following the incident, she shared several updates on social media about the future of her shop thanking customers and members of the community for their support.
She said: “I’m so incredibly happy that no one was hurt.
“I’ve been put in a horrible position however I can come back to my own bed unlike many!”
She revealed that she is planning to open a new shop in the coming days to accommodate for any clients who have had their appointments delayed due to the incident.
This re-opening is likely to be delayed as she confirmed she has to wait for council approval regarding licensing, and has ‘no idea’ how long it could take.
The collapse has encouraged the entire community to come together to support each other, with Paula shouting out several other Sheffield based Tattoo parlours, as well as a nearby café, Press N Sip, that has been forced to close temporarily following the collapse.
She has also questioned the potential cause of the collapse, and noted that the studio, as well as the building next door had been affected by ‘a lot of leak issues’, and suggested that this could be a possible reason for the incident.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Paula’s business recover from Sunday’s accident, and the council has begun a formal investigation into the collapse.
