Paradise One Chamberlain SquareHanded Over to PwC

After many months of delay caused by the collapse of Carillion, Accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Cooper has taken handover of the first building to be completed in the redesigned, demolished and rebuilt Paradise area of central Birmingham.

Left, from Centenary Square. One Chamberlain Square has some visual impact.

The handover was attended by key people of the development and our city, shown below. And what a splendid view over Centenary Square it will be for staff when the square is finally completed next year.

Pictured L to R: Rob Groves developer Argent’s Regional Director,
Tim Pile Chair of Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership,
Brigid Jones Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council.
Matthew Hammond Midlands region chairman for PwC,
Andy Street
It is pictured in the centre of the artist’s impression above, adjacent to the Central Museum on the right. Two Chamberlain Square is pictured to the left of it.

This is a prime position, as you would expect of such a successful company, adjacent to the historic Town Hall, Council House and Central Museum and the Chamberlain and Victoria Squares – a collection of characterising central Birmingham!

The company’s rapidly expanding team of 2000,  it is planned,  will move in early next year from their current premises in Cornwall Street in the Colmore Business Quarter. These current premises are in a somewhat hidden location and of little visual impact for visitors. It lies somewhat anonymously between Colmore Row and Great Charles Street Queensway.

This is a very significant statement by PwC as the Chamberlain Square building has been purported to be  a showpiece of the Paradise redevelopment.

The One Chamberlain Square upper floors are the PwC offices and the ground floor will have retail units and catering establishments. The latter two are to contribute to the targeted social atmosphere and facilities of the Paradise development.

Below is a  comparison view that used to be before demolition of the original buildings showing the old central library.

Below is my photo of the demolished Paradise with the beginnings of the One Chamberlain Square in the background dated 1 March 2017.
No central Library, no university college just a site reminiscent to me, as a child, of post WW2 Liverpool .

 

Walking around the site this week gave me an immediate impression of an unfinished building. But, I may be wrong because it is shrouded by hoardings – the building is still under wraps of these colourful barriers to ground floor views.

The car park area is still a contractors store and appears unfinished.

A great deal of works to the surroundings will e needed if 2000 people and their office equipment are to move in by early next year. But, that is perhaps a visual perception and maybe the reality is that it is well planned and scheduled and will all happen soon. (After 5 years of demolition and re-construction !).

Another observation of mine is that Two Chamberlain Square is not overshadowed by its more widely reported neighbour.
Look at the photos in the Gallery below and see what you think.

Article and Photos by Geoff Caine – freelance contributor

Gallery

To view photos:

1. Display an enlarged gallery – Left Click/Tap on an image. To close the enlarged gallery – Left Click/Tap outside an image or press ESC.

2. Also, On a PC or Mac, view a larger version of a single image in a separate page – Right Click on the image then Left Click on “Open link in new tab” or “Open link in new window”.

But after crossing the now blocked paradise queensway bridge questions of completion are raised .

Colourful hoardings currently prevent true appreciation of the two buildings.

Peeping through the hoardings reveals a possibly finished main entrance.

But further alomg more peeping reveals unfinished surroundings.

The rear of the buiding at car park entry level is littered with contractor materials….

View of One from the Museum entrance. Chamberlain Square is also hidden behind hoardings but peeping through these shows much work has yet to be completed.

The front view of Two is wonderful with its reflections of our histoic towers and statues set in a blue sky!