City Park Gate

The locally listed Island House, completed in 1912, which will stand in the centre of the development.

City Park Gate is a major mixed use development by Countryside Properties in the Eastside area of Birmingham, England. Designed by MAKE Architects, Associated Architects and Buro Happold, City Park Gate is on a prominent site alongside Moor Street Queensway, Birmingham Moor Street Station and a short distance from the Bull Ring Shopping Centre.

Planning history

The site was formerly taken up by Masshouse Circus, an elevated road junction which was demolished in 2000. The site created after the 'breaking of the concrete collar' was split into two phases. Phase 1 retained the Masshouse name and is to be developed into a high rise mixed use development by David McLean. Phase 2 became City Park Gate.

The original plan was part of a wider scheme to move Birmingham Central Library to the site from its current site in Chamberlain Square. City Park Gate was to be the mixed use scheme adjacent the Library of Birmingham and plans, designed by Lord Richard Rogers, were presented. Initially supported by the council, the library plan was dropped by Birmingham City Council however the mixed use scheme was kept. Despite this, Richard Rogers pulled out of the scheme.

In late 2005, it was revealed that Countryside Properties and Quintain were to submit a planning application to the city council for outline planning consent for the site.^[1] It also became clear that a new architect's practice had been chosen and this was revealed to be MAKE Architects.^[2]

News on the site went quiet throughout 2006 until November 2006 when demolition of the Euro Discount Megastore began as well as archaeological excavations on the adjacent car park to determine the history of the site. In December 2006, an outline planning application was submitted and a scrutiny period by the council began later in the month.^[3]

The proposals received planning permission on May 10, 2007 from Birmingham City Council's Planning Department^[4]. Construction is expected to begin in early 2008.

Richard Roger proposals

Lord Richard Rogers was commissioned to design the scheme by Countryside properties and his practice, Richard Rogers Partnerships designed a high rise and mid-rise development.

The designs were produced alongside the Library of Birmingham designs. The designs for the scheme showed the total demolition of the site except for the Grade II listed public house, The Fox and Grapes. This was to be incorporated into the building.

There were three rows of buildings culminating in high rise residential blocks of about 21 stories each with a spire on top. Within this development was 40,000 square metres of residential apartments, 11,500 square metres of offices and 11,000 square metres of retail accommodation.

The name was created as the development was to be located next to a major new city park in front of Millennium Point. It was also intended to be a gateway development to the Eastside from the Bull Ring.

The entire development was expected to cost £70 million though many believed this could not be possible due to the size and prominence of the site. Other criticisms were to the proposed demolition of the locally listed Island House which was completed in 1912.

The overall area of the site was 1.9 hectares and the area available was 650,000 sq ft (60,000 m²).

MAKE Architects proposals

A artist's render of Phase 1, as submitted in a planning application in 2008.

The proposals by MAKE Architects are being headed by Birmingham-born, Ken Shuttleworth.

The MAKE designs are larger in area available than the Rogers design. The Rogers design was 650,000 sq ft (60,000 m²) however the MAKE design is to be 1,000,000 sq ft (100,000 m²). Office space was doubled to 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m²), and the numbers of apartments increased to 844.

The high rise element was maintained throughout the design with the tallest building reaching 85 metres. Two new public open spaces were also created within the planning application: Island Place and Freeman Place.

Construction of the development has been split into phases and subphases. Phase 1 is in the centre of the development and consists of three buildings centred around a courtyard. Subphase, Phase 1a, addresses the Fox and Grapes public house which will get preserved.

Phase 2 is adjacent to Moor Street station and is one large building with numerous setbacks, each roof with a garden. Phase 2a is to have a small 10 metre building with retail units facing onto Freeman Place.

Phase 3 consists of the construction of two new buildings, one of them the largest in the whole development, as well as the extension onto Island House with a roof garden. The large building will be 85 metres tall approximately and will follow the boundary of the site along Masshouse Lane to Moor Street Queensway with a sloping roof. Within its courtyard will be a 10 metre building with retail units.

Also in the development will be a foodstore and room for a hotel. Parking will be underground and will be accessed from two sites.

Archaeological excavations revealed the foundations and walls of Victorian cellars which had been filled with medieval soil.

Construction is expected to begin in 2008 and be completed in the mid-2010s.

Hotel La Tour

How the Hotel will look upon completion

The Hotel La Tour will be built in the triangular plot between Masshouse Lane and Albert Street at the north end of the development.^[5]The developers, Hotel La Tour Group and architects, Lewis & Hickey will build a four star 174 bedroom hotel, 9 storeys high on its tallest point.^[6]The building is currently under construction by construction company Galliford Try, with an aim of opening the hotel in February 2012. The cost of the development is reported to be £24 million.^[7]

Sources

• Outline planning application submitted by FPD Savills on 29 November 2006. Application number: C/07395/06/OUT

See also

• Martineau Galleries
• Masshouse

References

1. ^ City Park Gate Moves Forward - Locate Birmingham (December 9, 2005)
2. ^ Now city's future rests with Shuttleworth - Birmingham Post (Apr 3 2006)
3. ^ Landmark scheme to transform city skyline - Birmingham Post (Jan 5 2007)
4. ^ Make Architects get green light for City Park Gate project - World Architecture News (Monday 14 May 2007)
5. ^ Hotel La Tour:City Park Gate, Design Review, CABE, http://www.cabe.org.uk/design-review/hotel-la-tour, retrieved 3 September 2009 
6. ^ Skyscrapernews.com, http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=2604, retrieved 5 August 2010 
7. ^ Birmingham Post, http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/businesslatest/2011/06/02/work-starts-on-24m-hotel-la-tour-at-birmingham-s-eastside-65233-28805385/, retrieved 2 June 2011 

External links

• City Park Gate Official website
• Richard Rogers page on their development
• Countryside Properties entry on the development
• Birmingham City Council entry on the development
• City Park Gate forum thread on Skyscrapercity.com
• Emporis entry on the high rise element

Coordinates: 52°28′48.07″N 1°53′27.92″W / 52.4800194°N 1.8910889°W / 52.4800194; -1.8910889