Paradise Birmingham, Birmingham – MEPC

Phase One, which is now complete, features One Chamberlain Square and Two Chamberlain Square, while Phase Two features One Centenary Way (completing 2023), new public squares and connections through the city centre and two further commercial buildings.

Where is the project located?
Paradise Birmingham, Birmingham

B1 3AX
 
Who is the developer/client of the project?
MEPC

Paradise Birmingham is a game changer for the city, bringing new connections, jobs and opportunities for people across the region.Located in one of the most deprived council wards and parliamentary constituencies in the UK, Birmingham Ladywood, Paradise has established outreach programmes for local people and school students, promoting skills and work experience.

It is a long term investment developed through a public-private partnership between MEPC, Federated Hermes and Birmingham City Council working alongside the Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

This Joint Venture approach has attracted more than £139 million of public sector investment through the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone for enabling and infrastructure works.

Key to the project is not its commercial buildings, but the public realm and the restoration of lost connections across the city centre. This work is now having a tangible impact on city residents and visitors, which can be seen in the millions of people who walk through the site every year (up to 20 million pa).

Each of the commercial buildings have been brought forward through private investment managed by Federated Hermes International. Phase One, which is now complete, features One Chamberlain Square and Two Chamberlain Square, while Phase Two features One Centenary Way (completing 2023), new public squares and connections through the city centre and two further commercial buildings.

The MPEC team, headed up by Rob Groves, consists of estate management, development and design experts as well as professional advisers, who have worked on the project for between 10-15 years.

 
What makes this place thrive? How does the community come together? What makes this a great place to live, work, play, visit or learn? 

Paradise is a genuinely mixed development with major employers like PwC, Arup and DLA Piper, plus cultural audiences attracted to the Town Hall and BMAG with events and exhibitions in Chamberlain Square.The site is able to unite local business audiences with the general public and visitors who enjoy the wonderful listed buildings and new public realm.

Paradise honours its historical heritage while creating the jobs and skills required for the 21st century. It’s a hub for young people too – PwC’s graduate hub at One Chamberlain Square or Arup’s future public exhibition space at One Centenary Way ensures the next generation will also be inspired by the estate’s surroundings and the work of its occupiers.

Placemaking has been all about activating these exciting new spaces, bringing new leisure venues and life to the public realm.

Paradise is also an important route through to the city’s Westside leisure district with its hotels, bars, restaurants, theatres and venues. Paradise is also building its own ground breaking 370 home Octagon residential tower, opening in 2025.

Creating a new city centre neighbourhood that successfully grows adjacent neighboruhoods and knits together with existing districts is central to the whole purpose of the development.

Paradise has opened up important new pedestrian links and delivered high quality public realm that creates superb business addresses and a revitalised piece of the city that everyone can enjoy. This is all a world away from the dark, dingy and uninviting spaces of the what was previously on the site.

 
How has this place adapted, and how does it continue to adapt, to changing demographics, behaviours, market context, policy, transport habits and the climate crisis? What makes it resilient?

Flexibility has been built in from the start of the development which means it is well equipped to respond to market and behavioural changes. Birmingham is not just the youngest major city in Europe (40% of the population is under 25), it is also the most entrepreneurial, registering the highest number of patents per year for any local authority area in the UK.

SMEs as well as large corporates are an important market for Paradise, as demonstrated through its leisure destinations which include innovative local companies like Yorks Bakery as well as respected small national companies like Dishoom.

Paradise has reacted to the Covid pandemic and changed its own working practices by keeping staff safe and secure, and by employing smart technology to allow for touchless access from front door to desk in all of its commercial spaces.

With large, open and flexible floorplates, all of the buildings at Paradise also feature outside spaces such as the terraces on the upper floors of One Chamberlain Square, Two Chamberlain Square and One Centenary Way.

Internal soft spots and staircases are a feature of every building, increasing air circulation as well as access. This feature also reduces use of lifts and other stairwells.

The path to net zero carbon is well established, with each building becoming leaner and greener, with high environmental standards and innovative working practices.

Paradise actively supports public transport links by part funding the Westside tram extension and building Birmingham’s first dedicated cycle hub at One Centenary Way.

 
Please share any data or evidence about the social, economic and environmental performance of this place?. 

The development is also now driving an event and placemaking programme that underscores the place of Paradise in the city and in the minds of its citizens – something always envisaged in the original masterplan.A number of national and local charities, cultural and educational organisations, such as Midlands Air Ambulance, Gratitude, Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, have all run successful fundraising, promotional and engagement activities in Chamberlain Square during 2021, connecting with local people, raising money for good causes and interacting with some of the 20 million people who walk through the development site every year.

Another priority for MEPC has been the £18 million of social and economic value that has been directed into the local community, the result of a collaborative approach between GHA, MEPC and all contractors.

£20 million has been spent in the local supply chain, supporting the regional employment and skills agenda and creating jobs and apprenticeships.

£6,424 has been directly invested in community projects in the local council ward of Ladywood, with 214 hours of time spent, 22 weeks of meaningful work placement and 159 hours supporting unemployed people to get back into work.

We believe all of this work goes beyond what could have been expected and underlines the total commitment of the Paradise team to their home city.