New images from property developer, HBD, reveal dramatic plans to transform a key site in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, currently home to Cornwall House.
Located on Ludgate Hill, it is a prominent site along a key route linking St Paul’s Square and the Central Business District.
HBD is proposing to demolish the existing 1970s canal-side building, replacing it with a high-quality residential scheme of 95 apartments and over 5,000 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space.
BPN Architects have created a striking but sympathetic design that draws on the area’s history and heritage.
Simon Raiye, Development Manager at HBD, said: “We want to completely transform the site – the new scheme will not only provide high-quality apartments in a sought-after neighbourhood, but will also ‘reactivate’ this part of Ludgate Hill. By incorporating a commercial element, we can create interaction at street level to continue the area’s leisure offer and contribute to the community living and working in the Jewellery Quarter. It’s a multi-dimensional scheme that is much more fitting of its location within one of the city’s most vibrant and celebrated areas.”
Phill Shepherd of BPN Architects, said: “This is a very prominent site with a huge amount of potential – we’ve worked hard to make sure that the new scheme sits well within the area and is sympathetic to its surroundings. During the Victorian period, the adjacent building was a Hinge Works, so there are elements of the design that reflect that. The use of a terracotta palette in the façade is also a nod to Birmingham’s history; terracotta was incorporated in numerous buildings following a shortage of stone masons and good quality stone, with several examples in the site’s vicinity.”
HBD has offices in Birmingham, London, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow and is working with a development pipeline of more than £1.6bn. Its diverse, UK-wide portfolio includes big-brand retail, office space and logistics, through to residential innovation and award-winning heritage projects.