First phase of Birmingham’s Paradise development given green light
A design by Grant Associates to enhance Birmingham city centre is given the green light by planners.
06 OCTOBER 2015, BIRMINGHAM, BATH, UK
Summary
A design by Grant Associates to enhance Birmingham city centre is one of three applications, which together form Phase One of the £450m Paradise Birmingham development, to be given the green light by planners.Birmingham City Council approved two major new office buildings along with Grant Associates’ proposals for extensively refurbished public space in a project that will see central Birmingham transformed over the next few years.
Grant Associates’ designs for enhancing the public realm include a series of new streets and public squares around the city centre’s historical listed buildings. The upgrading of this key public realm will be brought forward with over 354,000 sqft NIA of speculative office and retail space in the first two new buildings on the site.
One Chamberlain Square, designed by Eric Parry Architects, provides 172,000 sqft NIA of Grade A office space over seven storeys, including retail. The office entrance will be on Centenary Way, with restaurant or leisure uses on the ground floor and frontage onto Centenary Way, Congreve Street and Chamberlain Square. Construction work on One Chamberlain Square is expected to start in spring 2016.
Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, Two Chamberlain Square provides a further 182,000 sqft NIA of Grade A office space, which fronts onto Chamberlain Square, with the ground and upper ground levels offering space for leisure and retail uses. Work on site is due to start in autumn 2016.
Both buildings overlook Chamberlain Square, which will be completely reconfigured by Grant Associates to enhance this central public space. The design concept includes a new, wide pedestrian street through the development that links the upgraded Chamberlain Square to Centenary Square and will be constructed at the same time as two new buildings.
The 1.5m sqft project is part of the wider £500 million masterplan by Glenn Howells Architects. The Paradise Birmingham redevelopment is being brought forward through Paradise Circus Limited Partnership (PCLP), a private-public joint venture with Birmingham City Council, with the private sector funding being managed by Hermes Investment Management with Argent acting as development manager. The enabling and infrastructure works, currently underway, have been funded through an approved £61m investment by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).
The city centre will also see further investment in its public space with the revamp of Centenary Square in a separate scheme for Birmingham City Council designed by Graeme Massie Architects.
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Download PDFAbout Grant Associates
Grant Associates is a pioneering international landscape architecture practice. Our work reconnects people with nature in insightful, delightful and distinctive ways whilst addressing the global challenges of urbanisation, the climate crisis and biodiversity extinction.
Our design process is underpinned by a knowledge of human behaviour, nature and ecological science combined with innovative design technology. We bring original thinking, creative collaboration and are exploring what regenerative design and the circular economy means to landscape architecture.
Our varied portfolio includes ambitious large-scale, landmark projects through to small, local ventures.