Stirling Prize-winners appointed alongside newcomers
Local practices and Stirling Prize-winners have been appointed to the first phase of a £1.9bn development in the centre of Birmingham.
The 17ha Smithfield Birmingham project is being masterplanned by Prior & Partners for Lendlease and will see more than 3,000 homes built as well as offices, hotels, cafes and community facilities built.
Now the developer has named the architects who will be designing the first stage of the work.
They are dRMM, Haworth Tompkins, RCKa and two local practices, Minesh Patel Architects and Intervention Architecture.
Patel trained at local practice Glenn Howells Architects and spent three years with O’Donnell & Tuomey in Cork before setting up on his own in 2019.
Intervention was founded by architect and Birmingham School of Architecture tutor Anna Parker in 2015.
David Kohn Architects was appointed two years ago to design a new home for Birmingham’s Indoor Market, Rag Market and Open Market which will be the centrepiece of the regeneration project. The firm beat Shigeru Ban, Waugh Thistleton, 5th Studio, James Corner Field Operations, RSHP, Hopkins, Hawkins Brown and BIG.
The remainder of phase one will be divided into plots, with one team focusing on each aspect:
- dRMM and Intervention Architecture
- Haworth Tompkins and Minesh Patel Architects
- RCKa and Intervention Architecture
James Amos, development director at Lendlease, said: “Our chosen team of architects brings a fantastic blend of creativity, local talent and experience, alongside a clear commitment to sustainability.”
Following public consultation starting next month, a hybrid planning application for the masterplan and phase one will be submitted to Birmingham City Council later this year.
Birmingham-based public art collaborative Eastside Projects is leading the engagement with market traders and customers to help inform designs for the new market.
The development of Smithfield Birmingham – the historic heart of the city next to the Bull Ring and New Street Station – is part of Birmingham’s Big City Plan launched in 2010, which sets out a 25-year vision to help it become a “world-class city”.
Birmingham council leader Ian Ward said: “Smithfield Birmingham is a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a new community in the heart of our city – and we are really excited to be working with Lendlease Europe, who have an internationally proven track record for bringing forward major developments like this.
“This £1.9bn development means jobs, homes and opportunities for people across this city and Smithfield Birmingham will become a shining example of inclusive economic growth that will create a real legacy in the heart of Birmingham. We’re keen that this scheme also celebrates our heritage and the historic Bull Ring Markets will be central to this development.”
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