Winner revealed in competition to design Three Chamberlain Square.
Stirling Prize award-winning architecture practice Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has won the competition to design the next building at Paradise Birmingham.
FCBStudios’ vision is for a highly sustainable design that will bring a new standard of workplace to Birmingham, one that is relevant for the time as well as the location and will interact with its surroundings in an open way.
Three Chamberlain Square will continue as part of the latest phase of the development and will provide circa 160,000 sq ft of commercial office space next to the Town Hall, Chamberlain Square, and Paradise Street.
A crucial site in the overall Paradise masterplan, Three Paradise Square is the fifth building to be constructed as part of the Paradise estate, with the team now working towards submitting a planning application during 2021. Along with a new hotel on the corner of Paradise Street and Ratcliff Square, Three Chamberlain Square will complete Phase Two of Birmingham’s most important regeneration scheme.
The £700 million Paradise redevelopment is being brought forward through a private-public joint venture with Birmingham City Council. The private sector funding is being managed by the international business of Federated Hermes while Argent is the development manager.
The news about Three Chamberlain Square follows the submission of a planning application for the world’s first pure octagonal residential tower. Plans for Octagon, which will tower above the city at 49 storeys or 155 metres in height, were submitted to Birmingham City Council in October.
Despite the challenges of 2020, it has been a huge year for the development, with several occupier, development and planning announcements made and with more to come.
Rob Groves, Regional Director with Argent, said: “Huge congratulations to FCBStudios for the hard work they put into creating a winning design for our next building. Three Chamberlain Square is going to be an exciting and unique addition to the Paradise estate and we can’t wait to bring forward more details on the proposals as we move into 2021.
“One of the themes in FCBStudios pitch was for an ‘outside-inside’ design that would be highly sustainable and this made the design stand out in what was a very high quality field. They have also designed a building that has a compelling architectural story behind it and makes a powerful statement in its own right as well as fitting in perfectly to a larger scheme and masterplan.
“The fact that FCBStudios also designed the new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire at Eastside, which formerly sat on the site of Three Chamberlain Square, means the completion of a historic design circle in relation to this particular part of the Paradise site.
“We’re sure that Three Chamberlain Square will not just have a major impact on the cityscape of Birmingham but will have an impact on everyone who walks past it, works in it and lives close to it.”
Keith Bradley, Senior Partner at FCBStudios, said: “Our approach to Three Chamberlain Square is centred around sustainability, wellbeing and place. In one of the first post-Covid office buildings to be commissioned in the UK, we intend to raise the bar and bring a game-changing office building.
“Our ambition is to make a working environment which is desirable and attractive, while pushing the sustainability aspirations to deliver a net zero carbon building. Our design offers adaptable and resilient spaces and breathes new life into the workplace. With daylight, dramatic views, natural ventilation and greenery throughout, the offices engage with the outside to make an inspiring workplace.”
At almost 2 million square feet, Paradise is delivering up to ten new flagship buildings, offering offices, shops, bars, cafés, restaurants and a hotel across seventeen acres in the heart of the city, together with the proposed Octagon residential building.
A website showcasing the vision for Paradise, in addition to a live time-lapse camera and all the latest news about the development, can be viewed at paradisebirmingham.co.uk.
