A new look for Paradise Circus in Birmingham
Feb 5 2010 by Alun Thorne
“The general idea of our proposals are for the skyline to be lower around Chamberlain Square and then rising as it moves towards Centenary Square.
“One of the other fundamental elements to the success of this scheme will be exploring the possibility of taking Paradise Circus completely out the equation and making a T-junction between Broad Street and Great Charles Street.”
Glenn Howells – which also designed Eleven Brindleyplace and the remodelled Rotunda – said the sketches were aimed at bringing some clarity to a Byzantine problem.
“Paradise Circus is a complex site which presents the immediate issues of connectivity, historic buildings, public realm and sustainability alongside many others, which require careful consideration before moving forward,” he said.
“The sketches which we are sharing showcase our preliminary thoughts on how these issues could be addressed having considered technical restrictions and the commercial viability of the site.
‘‘The site offers huge potential to Birmingham from creating safer pedestrian routes and reconnecting the Jewellery Quarter with the city centre, to creating a sustainable mixed use environment with significantly increased employment opportunities.
‘‘Our aim is for Paradise Circus to be a part of the city in which people want to work, visit and socialise and we look forward to receiving feedback on our initial steps towards achieving this.”
Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby believes transforming Paradise is crucial to Birmingham’s long-term aspirations.
He said: “The public exhibition aims to outline our early aspirations for the Paradise Circus site to the people of Birmingham. This is the start of an inclusive approach to the redevelopment of a key piece of city centre land which represents one of the best development sites available in Europe right now.
“Whilst representing challenges it is also an amazing opportunity for the council and Argent to continue the process of transformational change for Birmingham, a city that has come so far over the past few years.
‘‘Our joint venture is the next significant step in creating a Birmingham that seeks to play a major role as an international destination in the future.
“At present the quality of movement through Paradise Circus is not easy and successfully improving this through the redevelopment of the area would be a major step in addressing the connectivity issues already identified in the Big City Plan and ensuring Birmingham has both a civic and cultural heart.”
n A public information exhibition on the proposals for Paradise Circus that have been developed by Argent, Glenn Howells Architects, transport plannerw Peter Brett Associates and Birmingham City Council is to be held on Tuesday, February 9, from 12-7pm and Wednesday, February 10, from 7.30am-2pm within the Paradise Forum mall.
It is likely that additional public consultation will be undertaken in 12 to 18 months time, before an outline planning application is submitted next year.
To see the initial concepts for Paradise Circus visit
www.paradisecircus.co.uk
from February 9.
