The £500m Paradise development is taking another huge step forward as work begins on the foundations of the first two landmark, Grade A office buildings, One and Two Chamberlain Square.
Approximately 200 piles, between 900mm and 1200mm in diameter, will be drilled up to 20 metres into the ground. These will support the weight of the new buildings which, when fully constructed, will form the first phase of the Paradise development. Initially, the piles will be focused on the core area of One Chamberlain Square, then progress through the whole footprint of One and Two Chamberlain Square.
A rig weighing around 100 tonnes will be used to carry out the piling work, which will continue until early 2017. A separate 75-tonne crawler crane will also be needed to service the rig, adding to the number of pieces of large plant already operating on site.
Both the rig and the crane will be fully visible to passers-by, adding yet more visual interest to the site, which has been a hive of activity since demolition started.
This latest milestone is particularly exciting for professional services giant PwC, which has agreed to take the top four and a half floors of One Chamberlain Square as its new Birmingham office. The company, and its staff, will now start to see its new home take shape.
Carillion, contractors for the demolition, infrastructure and enabling works, will oversee the piling work, which will be undertaken by Cementation. Carillion was recently announced as the contractor for One Chamberlain Square, which is expected to complete in autumn 2018.
Rob Groves, Regional Director of Argent, the development manager for Paradise said: “It is great to see this next phase of Paradise being delivered with the foundations marking the beginning of the construction process for One and Two Chamberlain Square.
“There has been a great deal of interest in the scheme throughout the demolition process, and we are sure that will continue. It is very exciting for us to see the site now officially turn from a demolition site to a construction site.”
Simon Dingle, Carillion Operations Director, said: “We are thrilled to be moving forward with the piling for One and Two Chamberlain Square alongside Cementation, as part of our role to deliver the infrastructure and enabling works for the first phase of development. The start of piling is a real buzz for us on any project and on Paradise it’s an incredible milestone, as it marks the start of permanent construction.”
Matthew Hammond, Regional Chairman at PwC in the Midlands, said: “We are delighted to see the next phase of construction begin at One Chamberlain Square. Once complete, the building will be at the heart of Birmingham’s business district, forming a key part of the city’s growth strategy to attract business and investors, create jobs and improve infrastructure.
“We have 1,400 staff in Birmingham and the way we work and our use of technology is rapidly changing. We are all looking forward to moving to the new office, which will provide us with the chance to continue to grow and offer our staff, clients and visitors a truly first-class working environment.”
The Paradise redevelopment is being brought forward through Paradise Circus Limited Partnership (PCLP), a private-public joint venture with Birmingham City Council. The private sector funding is being managed by Hermes Investment Management which has partnered with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) on the first phase of the development. Argent is the development manager.
The public realm enhancements to Chamberlain Square will also be implemented during this period and the second speculative office building, Two Chamberlain Square designed by Birmingham’s Glenn Howells Architects, will complete in early 2019.