The Art of Competition
By Alex Housden
As Paradise brings forward its next building – the office-led Three Chamberlain Square – we have embarked upon an architectural competition in order to bring further innovation and originality to the development.
Located alongside the Grade I listed Town Hall, Three Chamberlain Square will occupy a pivotal space in the civic heart of the City. That’s why we want it to be more than just another office building.
The whole ethos of Paradise is to set the highest possible standard of design and delivery. We want this scheme to be around for a long time and set the tone for this entire part of the city for years – and decades – to come.
A place centred around people above everything else, whether that is through utilising the space between buildings and our public squares, or by bringing the workplace into the 21st century.
Our first two office buildings have already helped show the way. Excellent examples of buildings that not only function as working locations, but are also truly mixed use with restaurants, cafes and bars on their ground floors that will bring people into the development. This is another way One Chamberlain Square and Two Chamberlain Square, like Three Chamberlain Square, will stand the test of time.
As a long-term developer working on a major public-private investment in the future of Birmingham, we have a responsibility to the city and its people to deliver the best we possibly can. That is why we say Paradise is unlike any other regional city-centre development in the UK. It is a huge investment not just in workplaces, but in everything a destination needs to be.
We are creating a whole new piece of the city.
To continue this innovation, we have decided to invite four of the country’s most original architectural firms to look at the design of our next building. Associated Architects, ShedKM, FCB, and Reiach and Hall, are all modern-thinking architects committed to sustainability and the principles of place.
Ultimately, each and every building at Paradise has to earn its position in a cohesive whole that creates a sense of place for everyone who works, visits or lives here.
Design competitions are a perfect way of exploring new ideas and pushing architects to think outside the box, and we hope our four chosen challengers will do exactly that. The competition concept allows firms who are not already connected with a project to look at the space and location of it afresh and bring a new perspective to the table.
When we took the same approach for our first building, the now completed One Chamberlain Square, we were blown away by the quality of the entries and have an award-winning, superlative addition to the development from Eric Parry to show for it.
We can’t wait to see the entries for our latest competition come through later this year.