A new look for Paradise Circus in Birmingham
Feb 5 2010 by Alun Thorne
Images of how Paradise Circus in Birmingham could look following the expected demolition of the Central Library have been released.
The indicative sketches by award-winning architect Glenn Howells form the centrepiece of a public consultation which is launched this week looking at proposals to redevelop the eight-acre site.
The controversial site, which is also home to the Copthorne Hotel and the Conservatoire, has been earmarked for a massive regeneration after the Government ruled last year that John Madin’s brutalist library was not of sufficient cultural value to list and work has already begun on its £600 million replacement in Centenary Square.
Argent – the company that created Brindleyplace – has an exclusivity agreement with the city council to develop the site as a joint venture and joint managing director Gary Taylor said it was important to get the public and other direct stakeholders’ views on the site as early as possible.
“I don’t think there is an area in any major city that has seen as many planning mistakes as at Paradise from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s,” he said.
“What we want to find out from the consultation is what people really value around Paradise. Is it permeability and improving the area or would they rather the library was just left there?
“The consultation is about exploring all options. I think there needs to be some public or civic use in the new scheme – in an ideal world the Conservatoire would still be there but we shall have to see.
“At this early stage it is very difficult to be certain about how the scheme will look but I would imagine there will be a hotel element to the scheme as well as a residential use although office will play a large part in the project. The bottom line is the scheme has to be paid for.
“We would certainly look carefully about what the city needs regarding a residential offer but I don’t think this development will be about attracting families – families need space and there are better development sites around the city that lend themselves to this kind of development.”
The public consultation comes after years of wrangling over the site due to the popularity of the old library among some quarters – when the Government announced its decision not to list the building it admitted that it had actually received more representations to save the building rather than demolish it but felt there would be a wider benefit to the city if it was not listed.
These arguments have not been lost on Mr Taylor who is adament that under different circumstances the Central Library could have possibly remained at the heart of any regeneration.
He said: “The driving force behind this project is to create great streets and squares and connectivity. I am not of the opinion to do a scorched earth policy for the sake of it.
“The inverted ziggurat of the library is an interesting shape but it’s just made of rotten material which is falling apart. If I honestly thought we could come up with a solution that kept the box with a £50 million refurbishment and a good urban scheme I would pursue it.
“People have said wouldn’t it be greener to keep the existing building there but I have always believed that it is greener for people to work, live and stay in the city than live and work much further out and spend all their time travelling.”
Whatever comes from the consultation, there is no doubt that the end result will see a huge transformation of the whole area.
“We want to give buildings like the town hall and the council house and the new library the right setting and we couldn’t do that with the current library where it is,” he said.
