information pack - weebly

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INFORMATION PACK

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CONTENTS

BULLRING: KEY FACTS 5

CORPORATE 7

The Birmingham Alliance 7

DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION 8

Delivery team 8

Construction 8

Key construction statistics 10

Architecture and design - reconnecting the city 11

Spiceal Street 13

Interior design 14

Retail fit out - Checkland Kindleysides 15

Signage – Pentagram 15

Washrooms – Amalgam 16

Bullring: IT innovation 17

HISTORY 19

Archaeology 20

St Martins Church 23

RETAILERS 24 Retailers and tenant mix strategy 24

Selfridges 26

Debenhams 27

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CONTENTS

CUSTOMER SERVICE 28 Website 28

Customer Service Desk 28

In-mall Touchscreens 28

Plasma Screens 29

Personal shopper lockers 29

TRANSPORT 30

Moor Street Train Station 30

New Street Train Station 30

Birmingham International Airport – BHX 31

Communications and access 32

PUBLIC ART AND LANDSCAPING 33

Sculptural Light Wands by Peter Fink, from Art 2 Architecture 33

Glass Signature Piece by Martin Donlin 33

Bronze Bull by Laurence Broderick 34

Admiral Nelson 34

Swan Passage: 24-hour route railings by Anu Patel 35

Small scale community artwork project 35

Artists in residence 35

Meteorite by Cornelia Parker 35

Spiceal Street Public Art 36

Green Wall 36

Water Feature with Poetry by Simon Turner and Polar Bear 36

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CONTENTS

MARKETING 37

Catchment area 37

Marketing overview 37

RESEARCH OVERVIEW 38

Biannual visitor survey 38

Catchment survey 38

Focus groups 38

Research findings 38

DDA 39

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 39

USEFUL LINKS 40

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BULLRING KEY FACTS

Bullring, together with Martineau Place and the planned development of Martineau Galleries, is

Europe’s largest retail-led regeneration project, representing an investment of over £1 billion.

The project was conceived and driven by The Birmingham Alliance, a partnership between Hammerson

Plc, Henderson Global Investors Ltd and Land Securities Group PLC.

Birmingham is currently the focus of £7 billion of new investment, of which Bullring represents over

£500 million.

Bullring provides 110,000 m2 of retail accommodation over three trading levels

Bullring incorporates 160 stores of which 91 were new retailers to Birmingham.

There are 28 Restaurants and cafes at Bullring.

The Centre has attracted a wealth of new brands to the City including Forever 21 (first ever European

store) Hollister, Jamie’s Italian, Browns Bar & Brasserie and Thai Restaurant Chaophraya.

The scheme is anchored by Debenhams and Selfridges.

The Centre has an average annual footfall of 38 million.

During December over 1 million shoppers visit the centre per week.

The development of Bullring has included the creation of 3,100 car parking spaces.

Bullring incorporates a diverse mix of architectural styles, from the traditional to the futuristic, forming a

new icon for the city.

Bullring’s design reflects the city’s historic street patterns and comprises a series of traditional streets,

squares and open spaces, enabling Bullring to connect seamlessly with the existing city centre.

Long-lost historic street names, going back as far as the 18th century, such as Spiceal Street, Swan

Passage and Jamaica Row are returning as part of Bullring.

For the first time in nearly fifty years, St Martin’s Church has been brought back into the heart of the city,

clearly visible from New Street / High Street.

The formerly derelict Edwardian Moor Street Station building has been restored in the style of a 1930s

Great Western Railway station and is now the gateway to Bullring from Marylebone and the shire

counties.

Over 8000 new jobs have been created as a result of Bullrings development.

The Birmingham Alliance invested £2 million in a major programme of public artworks for Bullring’s public

realm.

Over 7.2 million people live within an hour’s drive of the city, with some 4.3 million shoppers living within

Bullring’s 45 minute catchment area.

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BULLRING KEY FACTS

Birmingham has the largest professional / financial sector outside London, employing over 100,000

people with an annual output of over £2.5 billion.

Over half a million pounds a day was spent building Bullring.

At its peak, over 1,500 workers were on Bullring’s development site each day.

In November 2011 the new Spiceal Street Scheme opened redeveloping the St. Martins Square area.

The four massive steel trusses at the gateway to Bullring support the buildings above the Victorian railway

tunnels running directly below.

Demolition on site began on 30th June 2000, and was completed in March 2001.

Bullring incorporates a 19.5 metre drop in level from north to south.

Over 270,000 people visited Bullring on its launch Day (4th September 2003)

Since Bullrings launch, Birmingham has risen from 13th to 3rd in the Experian UK retail destination

rankings.

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CORPORATE

The Birmingham Alliance

The Birmingham Alliance is a partnership between Hammerson Plc, Land Securities, and

Henderson Global Investors Ltd which was formed in February 1999 to implement Europe’s

largest city centre regeneration project in central Birmingham. (In 2009 Land Securities

sold their share in Bullring to Future Fund.)

Through this landmark agreement which combined the partners’ respective city centre

developments, The Birmingham Alliance partners have fully aligned the objectives of the

Birmingham City Council and the people of Birmingham with their own commercial interests.

The resulting retail-led, and carefully phased redevelopment of 40 acres in the heart of the city

(equating to some 189,500 m2 of retail space) will, by completion have totally transformed

Birmingham’s retail standing, injected over £800 million into the local economy and created a

total of 8,000 jobs.

The first stage in the regeneration of Bullring was the opening, in September 2000, of a 5,500

m2 state-of- the-art Indoor Market housing 90 traders. The next phase, the £100 million,

17,000 m2 Martineau Place scheme, opened in November 2001.

The Birmingham Alliance Master Plan

Bullring is the second flagship phase and comprises 110,000 m2 of prime retail space over three

trading levels over a 26-acre site. The third and final phase, Martineau Galleries, will comprise

the development of a 14-acre site to accommodate the next phase of the regeneration of

Birmingham city centre. The scheme will provide a mix of retail, leisure, office, residential and

cultural uses. The development will commence only once the impact of Martineau Place and

Bullring has been assessed.

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DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION

Delivery team

Design & Management Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine

Sir Robert McAlpine: Principal supply chain members

Detailed Design Architects: Chapman Taylor

Structural Engineers: The Waterman Partnership

Building Services Engineers: WSP Group

Structural Steelwork: Severfield Reeve

Concrete Framework: O’Rourke Ltd

Mechanical Services Installation: Emcor Drake & Scull

Groundworks: Parkstone Construction Ltd

Brickwork & Blockwork: Ben Barrett & Son

Civil Engineering over railway tunnels: Balfour Beatty Construction

Electrical Contractor: Hills Electrical Concrete

Flooring: Heyrod Construction

Lifts & Escalators: Otis Elevator Plc

Skyplane Glazed Roof Contract 1: Portal

Skyplane Glazed Roof Contract 2: Space Decks

Flooring: Stone Cladding International Mall

Ceilings & Bulkheads: Stevensons (Norwich)

Natural stone-faced precast panels: Trent Concrete

Demolition: Brown & Mason

Bullring’s construction has been carried out by Sir Robert McAlpine, one of the UK’s leading

building and civil engineering contractors, under a £250 million design and build, guaranteed

maximum price contract. The massive development has involved: the removal of some 200,000

m3 of material created from the demolition of the old 1960’s structure - much of it recycled;

the use of 90,000 m3 of concrete; and the installation of 15,460 tonnes of structural steelwork -

twice that of the Eiffel Tower.

The construction team responsible for Bullring was largely made up of the same individuals,

and supply chain, which had carried out the construction of the 74,500 m2 WestQuay

shopping centre in Southampton. This established team structure proved invaluable when

dealing with the additional complexities of the Bullring site.

Stretching over 26-acres, and incorporating a 19.5 metre drop in level, the construction site

presented a number of challenges. First and foremost, work had to be carried out in a busy city

centre location bounded by two major railway stations, and two key bus terminals. In addition,

public access had to be maintained across the site at all times, between High Street and New

Street to the north, the street and covered markets to the south.

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The principal challenges facing Sir Robert MacAlpine included:

• Complex civil engineering to lower the northern arm road by 3.5 metres over the West

Coast main line Victorian railway tunnels; while allowing the tunnels to be operational

throughout the construction process.

• Suspending the two buildings on Bullring’s northern perimeter over the road and railway

tunnels from four massive 120-tonnes, 50-metre long, steel bow-string trusses

• Creating different grid systems at different mall levels involving two major load transfer

structural levels.

• Detailing, co-ordinating, and integrating three mall levels across a 19.5 metre drop in site

level - running north to south - with an open street, St Martin’s Walk, cutting through the

centre.

• Providing public access across the site at all times - originally via a 230 metre long

temporary pedestrian bridge supported on piles 15 metres above basement level - with

all attendant safety considerations.

• Dealing with a congested city centre site with no free space

• Extensive co-ordination in order to deal with the requirements of 160 different retail units

• Responding to the different requirements posed by the wide variety of external elevations

and cladding material

• Designing and constructing a 7,000 m2 glazed ‘skyplane’ roof covering to the malls,

allowing for both building and thermal movements

During the 29-month long construction programme, a series of sectional completions delivered

retail units for fit-out. Over the course of the programme, substantial changes were absorbed

incorporating enhancements to the scheme as well as tenant specific requirements.

Following handovers, all achieved on or ahead of schedule, design changes, construction

modifications and interface support was provided to fit-out contractors. The on-site labour force

peaked at 1,500 during main construction, and over 2,500 during the latter stages of fit-out.

Sir Robert McAlpine also carried out the construction required for the refurbishment of the

adjacent Moor

Street Station.

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Key construction statistics:

• Concrete removed - old Bull Ring 65,000 tonnes

• Steelwork removed - old Bull Ring 12,000 tonnes

• Earth removed in excavation - 7,000 lorry loads 204,000 m3

• Concrete poured 216,000 tonnes

• Steelwork erected - 650,000 bolts 15,460 tonnes

• Tower cranes 11

• Peak labour force during construction 1,500

• Peak labour force during fit-outs 2,500

• Works packages 50 major 200 total

• Fall in level across the site 19.5 metres

• People using site bridge during market days 15,000

• Retail area 110,000 m2

• Retail outlets 160

• Car parking 3,100 spaces

• Selfridges store area 23,225 m2

• Debenhams store area 19,230 m2

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Architecture and design - reconnecting the city

Bullring marks a new era of retail-led regeneration for British cities. At 110,000 m2, and

occupying a 26- acre site, Bullring is not only one of the largest retail developments to have

been delivered in Europe for over a decade, it is also the first time a scheme of this scale has

been built in a city centre.

The nine level scheme sits right at the heart of Birmingham’s traditional and historic centre for

retail and trade. Bullring’s nine levels comprise three principal retail malls - with the upper level

containing a first floor, and the lower level containing a mezzanine - two levels of car parking

situated directly below the scheme, one level dedicated to the scheme’s centre management

suite, and plant and machinery contained within the remaining levels.

Birmingham’s historic street pattern was a major influence on Bullring’s design. The scheme is

composed of three axes, two of which form a natural extension to the city’s principal shopping

streets of New Street and High Street. Between the two, the third axis comprising St Martin’s

Walk, a new pedestrian boulevard, restores historic linkages to the city’s traditional markets

beyond St Martin’s church.

Original development drawings showing the re-establishment of Central Street and access

between the two train stations that service Bullring.

The Birmingham Alliance’s vision was to provide Birmingham with the best of continental Europe.

Bullring’s streetscape atmosphere has provided a feeling reminiscent of European cities.

Boulevards, squares, and the types of spaces which promote an active street life, have been

combined to set a new model for retail-led inner city regeneration. Bullring has revitalised an

historic city quarter, while creating an exciting new public forum for people to meet, eat, shop and

relax in a contemporary environment.

Designed by concept architects Benoy, with detailed design implementation provided by

Chapman Taylor, Bullring has been conceived as a series of malls, open spaces, covered streets

and public piazzas - with the two department stores, Debenhams and Selfridges, providing an

anchor on each side of the scheme.

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1950’s Street scene looking towards St Martins Church. Bullring re-opened this vista that

was lost in the construction of the 1960’s Bullring.

A key element of Bullring’s design is its permeability and the way in which new open spaces and

walkways throughout the three principal trading levels have been designed to link into the city

centre - and form an extension of Birmingham’s existing prime retail pitch. The natural gradient

of the site - falling some 19.5 metres from north to south - has been integrated into Bullring’s

design so that each trading level has access to a ground floor entrance, and allows for the three

retail levels to step down the slope either side of St Martin’s Walk.

The view to St Martins now Bullring has been completed. Launch Day Mardis Gras Parade

(2003)

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Externally, the slopes of St Martin’s Walk and St Martin’s Square give dramatic views of the

retail outlets and have been enhanced by terraces down either side of St Martin’s Walk,

culminating in a major viewing terrace at the end of the street overlooking St Martin’s

Church.

Bullring’s design also represents a radical departure from the enclosed, and ‘monolithic’ style

typical of shopping centre development. Its entire ethos revolves around knitting together new

building blocks so as to blend with the existing fabric, grain and scale of the city.

In terms of its physical presence, Bullring is made up of a number of individual city blocks, each

with their own proportions and styles, which emulate in scale those around them. The result has

seen the creation of a series of individual streetscapes. This approach has enabled Bullring to

connect seamlessly with the existing city centre, while creating a new forum for historic

landmarks such as St Martin’s Church, which has regained its traditional prominence through a

new piazza setting at the heart of Bullring.

Materials have been selected for their timeless properties and for their capacity to reflect an

appropriate quality to buildings of civic and cultural importance. Externally, these provide a

dignified backdrop for the historic landmark of St Martin’s Church - creating a civic setting in

the form of a grand square around it.

Spiceal Street

Spiceal Street opened on 24

th November 2011 and welcomed three new restaurants to the existing catering

mix at Bullring, Browns Bar & Brasserie, Thai restaurant Chaophraya and handmade Burger Co.

Spiceal Street Key Facts:

£7.5 million pound investment

In total 105 jobs have been created by the Spiceal Street development

Construction workers began work during March, taking 8 months to complete

Total development space of 20,000sq ft

In total 13 offers were received by restaurant operators for the 3 restaurant units

As part of the development Nando’s and Pizza Hut have extended their units by 54% and 20%

respectively

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One of the more dramatic features of Bullring’s design is its spectacular 7,000 m2 ‘Skyplane’

roof. This virtually invisible expanse of glass forms a ‘floating’ cover over Bullring’s seemingly

‘open’ malls, to give the impression of a natural extension of the city’s key shopping streets,

while linking them to the two department stores.

Whereas a traditional curved or ‘whale belly’ mall roof tends to unite facades across a mall,

Skyplane by over-sailing and visually detaching itself from them, allows opposite facades to

have different expressions and materials, again reinforcing this notion of a variety of different

city blocks below.

The street feel is further enhanced through the use of external materials within Bullring’s

interior spaces. Stone, metal, brick and glass have all been used to make up the different shop

fronts and surrounds.

Another dramatic feature - which provides a major structural solution - are the two pairs of

exposed steel, bow-string trusses at Bullring’s northern perimeter. The four, 50 metre-long

trusses suspend the buildings over the Victorian railway tunnels of New Street Station, running

below Bullring. The ‘bridge’ formed by the trusses also allows the existing retail frontages to

flow into Bullring, while creating a dramatic gateway to Bullring - giving scale and presence to

the New Street/High Street junction at the base of the Rotunda.

Interior design

Based on the understanding that the image associated with brand values is of paramount

importance to selling branded lifestyle concepts, The Birmingham Alliance has taken an unusual

approach to the design of Bullring’s internal spaces. Using a number of specialist consultants,

the scheme’s interior environment, from shop fronts to washroom facilities, has taken mall

design to a new level of sensory experience. The result is more typical of an exclusive world

class hotel environment.

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Retail Fit-Out - Checkland Kindleysides

Appointed by The Birmingham Alliance in early 2002, Checkland Kindleysides, one of the UK’s

top three retail design consultancies, has been acting as design guardian for Bullring’s retail

frontages. The appointment represented a first for the consultancy in being taken on board by

a developer. Checkland Kindleysides is best known for its work on developing the global

brand positioning for high profile brands such as the Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors’

marques and Levis.

The brief was twofold. Firstly, to work with each retailer coming into Bullring and to

encourage them to design their stores to take maximum advantage of their location, and to

construct their fit-outs to the highest possible standards of workmanship. Secondly, to co-

ordinate the individual fit-outs to ensure an integrated retail environment.

Using a specially created ‘Vision’ document to inspire and advise, and then through a series of

workshops and individual sessions, the team worked with each retailer to help extend their

brand values and maximise their store offer. Focusing on shop-fitting, signage, shop-front and

window displays, each retailer has contributed to the creation of a stimulating shopping

experience unique to Bullring.

For retailers, the experience has proved an unprecedented opportunity to increase the visibility

of their brand message. The result has seen retailers develop a new strategy, using the real

estate investment in Bullring as a three-dimensional advertisement, to create an exceptional

‘shop window’ for their business.

Signage - Pentagram

Integrating Bullring’s physical design into Birmingham’s city centre has also been applied to

its signage strategy. Carried out by multi-disciplinary design consultancy, Pentagram,

Bullring’s comprehensive branded signage package addresses ‘gateway’ identification

signage for the scheme’s entrances and external areas; way-finding and information and

directory signage at key points within the scheme; and signage for each of the scheme’s

three car parks.

The concept created by Pentagram is minimalist in its approach. There is only one style of sign in

order to promote easy recognition. The free-standing, three metre high signs are placed at points

where a decision is needed and shows retail listings in a traditional format, together with stylised

mall level plans.

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Washrooms - Amalgam

Bullring’s washroom and toilet areas represent a new departure in the design of public facilities

within a shopping centre environment. The concept design, developed by London-based creative

consultants Amalagam, who have been responsible for high profile store designs such as DAKS

in London’s Bond Street, is funky, while adding a touch of glamour with a hotel-foyer type

environment.

Designed as an extension of Bullring’s main public spaces, the four toilet facilities are easily

recognisable from their distinctive life-size entrance murals, and are split between two

distinctive colour themes - from sharp and colourful to energize and stimulate, and soft and

neutral to soothe and calm - to suit individual moods.

Bullring Toilets Upper Mall West The interiors feature translucent glass wash troughs, photography behind the urinals, a choice of

individually designed ‘private’ cubicles, mirror ball light shows over changing tables to amuse

babies, family rooms with low height urinals, toilet bowls and washbasins for independent

youngsters, and back- illuminated mirrors in grooming areas to provide a flattering ambience,

with hotel style entrances adding a sense of occasion.

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Bullring: IT innovation

Bullring’s ‘e-factor’ - its IT, network and systems- is one of the most advanced to have been

developed for a shopping centre environment to date, with all retailers linked via HP thin-client

terminals, centrally hosted and managed by Bullring IT, with key content control available

to Tenants, Retail Liaison and Marketing.

Operating from a single converged integrated technology platform, Bullring’s communication

management systems include 30 Plasma Screens [including sound enabled lift lobby

displays] by RAM Vision, Passenger lift internal displays, Path Intelligence/ FootFall

pedestrian counting, FSI Facilities Management Applications and Public Wi-Fi Services by

BSB.

Bullring’s shoppers can also experience the ‘e-factor’; 29 free-standing in-mall electronic

touchscreens, placed in various locations around the shopping centre, provide access to a

range of information including: Bullring’s shops and facilities; way finder; details about sales

promotions and job vacancies; traffic updates; and a ‘What’s On’ guide listing events at local

venues.

From the retailer point of view, the combined IT package designed for Bullring provides a single

source from which each retailer is e-enabled. From their own dedicated terminals, retailers can

communicate with Bullring’s centre management as well as with customers through the in-mall

touchscreens and Website. Retailers will also receive information on the Intranet directly from

centre management including alerts, performance statistics, maintenance, health and safety and

events.

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HISTORY Britain’s second city has a long history as a leading centre of trade and market innovation. Its

earliest transformation, in the 1200’s, from an agriculturally insignificant village into one of the

greatest industrial cities in the world, earned it a reputation as ‘The city of a thousand trades’.

Birmingham’s importance has been forged and fashioned by its own people. It is not a site of

strategic defensive importance, and has no castle, port or river. The city emerged solely as a

result of its ability to craft, manufacture and trade goods.

The site of Bullring, beneath St Martin’s Church, has always been the city’s historic market

centre, and began life in 1166 when Birmingham was awarded a royal charter giving it the right

to have its own market.

By the 1950’s the old Bull Ring site seemed to have everything, from shops like Chapmans selling birds, the Army & Navy store and the largest Woolworths of its day.

1950’s Street scene looking from the spire of St Martins Church

In the 1960’s the market site became one of the country’s most celebrated examples of

revolutionary urban planning with the dramatic development of the old Bull Ring, at the time one

of the world’s largest enclosed shopping centres outside America, and at the forefront of

shopping centre design. The three symbols of the era were the circular Rotunda building, the

swathe of ring roads encircling the old market centre site, and at its heart the Bull Ring Shopping

Centre with some 32,500 m2 of supermarkets, shops and markets which opened in May 1964.

1960’s Bullring

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HISTORY

By the 1980’s, and despite its trading history, Birmingham had little to offer in terms of the

burgeoning growth of new generation retailers and department stores. The old Bull Ring

shopping centre was tired and jaded, and the city had only one department store - a retail offer

which was not on a par with Birmingham’s growing status as a leading centre for business and

culture.

The redevelopment of the 26-acre Bullring site by The Birmingham Alliance was another

milestone in the city’s history of innovation. The 110,000 m2 scheme has been cited as the

catalyst for Birmingham’s transformation into a world class retail capital - bringing modern,

retail space into the city with department stores for Debenhams and Selfridges, a total of 160

shops, cafes and restaurants, 3,100 new car parking spaces, new open spaces, walkways and

performance areas, and iconic new architecture.

Drawing on Birmingham’s historic street patterns, Bullring is made up of a series of traditional

streets, squares and open spaces, which once again link New Street and High Street to St

Martin’s Church, the open markets, Digbeth and beyond. Bullring provides a gateway to the east

side of the city where plans are in place to regenerate the area and create a public park and

learning quarter.

As part of the Bullring development, existing landmarks such as the old Moor Street Station and

St Martin’s Church have been cleaned and restored, and long-lost historic Birmingham street

names, going back as far as the 18th century, have been reintroduced. Plans for the Rotunda

building are currently being considered.

A new 24-hour pedestrian walkway next to St Martin’s Queensway has been called ‘Swan

Passage’ after the nearby ancient route of ‘Swan Alley’, which appears on the 1731 plan of the

city. Other names to reappear include Jamaica Row and Spiceal Street which first appeared in

1795.

St Martin’s is the oldest church in Birmingham. Historians believe there has been a church on

the site since at least the 13th century. The church is now to be known as St Martin’s in the

Bullring.

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HISTORY Archaeology

Archaeological digs were carried out as part of the Bullring redevelopment, in the historic

heart of Birmingham. The digs uncovered evidence of Birmingham’s medieval origins around

2 metres below the present-day ground level and it is now known that as far back as the

1400s Birmingham was a thriving medieval market and industrial town.

Edgbaston Street is one of the oldest streets in Birmingham. In medieval times it linked the

moated manor house (now underneath the Wholesale Market) with Parsonage Moat (by

Edgbaston Street carpark) and carried traffic to and from the busy Bullring market. This street

would have been a prestigious place to live, close to the Lord of the Manor, church and market

place, with trading facilities near the busy market and access to fresh water supplies to the rear.

Amazingly, a whole cooking pot was found less than 1.5m below the surface, an oven and a

domestic kiln were also found close by.

An archaeological dig on the site of the Indoor Market has shown that livestock were watered and

rested on the land extending from Edgbaston Street to the watercourse which joined the moated

manor house with Parsonage Moat, before being sold at the market. Slaughterhouses would

have been adjacent to the market and a 13th century tannery was tucked in behind the houses

and shops that fronted this main street. So there was a ready source of materials for the

tanners, not just of hides, but also of water from the watercourse, a succession of wells and

possibly a number of natural springs at Lady Well and at the top of Digbeth High Street. The

tannery is one of a series now known to have existed in the area of the Bullring and Deritend and

it is one of the earliest tanneries in the West Midlands.

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HISTORY

Making leather is only one of the industries in the area. The digs showed that glass, metal and

pottery were also being made close by.

Archaeological digs at Moor Street, underneath Selfridges and Park Street, on the site of Moor

Street multi- storey carpark, were in part of the Lord of the Manor’s deer park. A large ditch that

was the boundary between town and deer park in the 12th century was found. By the 13th

century, the park’s use for hunting gave way to the demands for land close to the Bullring.

As a result of the success of the markets, the Lord of the Manor abandoned the deer park. The

ditch was infilled and Moor Street and Park Street were created to provide additional building

land to encourage people to live and work in the town. The ditch was filled with debris that gave

clues to the medieval activities being carried out close by. Pottery was made here, and other

industrial processes may have included metal-working, horn-working, bone-working and textile

production.

Curiously, two burials were also found in the deer park at the Park Street site. It is not known

why these people were excluded from the nearby St. Martin’s churchyard – perhaps they were

criminals!

The creation of ‘The Row’, now Upper Dean Street, a busy bus-route through the city centre,

revealed the remains of the Lord of the Manor’s moat. This large ditch had been backfilled in the

19th century to create a new market area, sealing and preserving the original medieval layers.

Medieval settlement and market trading also extended north of the Bullring, along High Street

and Dale End and up to the 13th century Priory or Hospital of St. Thomas. The Priory was

abandoned in 1549 and although nothing survives today, historic documents suggest that it had a

church, hospital, graveyard, rabbit warren, and a clerk’s house.

Archaeological excavation of St. Martin’s churchyard, now St. Martin’s Square, was carried out in

advance of landscaping around the church as part of the Bullring redevelopment. Careful

excavation and detailed analysis of the remains has allowed a fascinating insight to the pattern

of life and death of Birmingham’s population during one of the most important periods of the

city’s growth and industrialisation.

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HISTORY

The excavation recorded 857 human burials, mainly dating to the late 18th and throughout the

19th century. The intensive use of the churchyard at this time meant that some graves were

disturbed after only a few years to allow for further burials. The majority of the burials were

originally in simple wooden coffins in earth-cut graves, but very few of the coffins survived.

Thirty-five brick-lined graves and vaults were also recorded. The brick-lined graves usually

contained one or more burials and were roofed with stone slabs or brick barrel vaults. More

elaborate vaults were square or rectangular in plan and contained up to twelve burials. The

excavation also provided an opportunity to record parts of the foundations of the medieval and

Victorian church, and the churchyard walls.

All of the named remains have been reburied within St. Martin’s Churchyard, whilst the un-

named remains have been reburied at Quinton cemetery.

The archaeological digs have shown that there has been a wide range of industries located in the

Bullring area since the 13th century. Together, these digs have made the most significant

contribution to our understanding of Birmingham’s historic development since the recording of

the moated manor house during construction of the Wholesale Market in the early 1970s. The

evidence has demonstrated that Birmingham was not only founded in the 12th century but that it

rapidly expanded into a thriving trading and industrial centre. It is clear that a quote from an

article in Industrial Great Britain, dated 1891, can also apply to Birmingham people from the 13th

century onwards:

“The spirit and enterprise of the inhabitants of Birmingham are well illustrated in the

number and variety of their occupations. They do not confine themselves to one

particular branch of business, but their energies overflow into nearly every

department of industry, and each succeeding year gives birth to some new and

important undertaking.”

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HISTORY

St Martin’s Church

Celebrating Bullring's heritage forms a key part of the arts and public spaces programme. The

Birmingham Alliance contributed £1.9 million of ‘match’ funding to secure a full internal and

external restoration of St Martin’s Church to bring the 18th century landmark back into the

heart of the city.

Long cut off from the city by ring roads and uninviting walkways, the church now takes centre

stage in St Martin's Square. Originally designed by Alfred Chatwin, who also worked on the

Houses of Parliament in London, the church’s fully restored gothic splendour is revealed by

new feature lighting. To be known as St Martin’s in The Bullring, the church provides an

historic counterpoint to its dramatic modern neighbours.

St Martins Church

The restoration of St Martin’s Church was carried out by Sapcote.

24

RETAILERS Retailers and Tenant Mix Strategy

Bullring has transformed Birmingham’s city centre retail line-up, attracting some of the

industry’s most exciting flagship retailers to the city for the first time. Some 90 retailers

launched their trading presence in Birmingham, with almost 40 taking additional stores in

Bullring whilst retaining existing units in the city. The combination is a powerful endorsement

of retailer confidence in the scheme.

The design of Bullring has been critical to securing a vibrant and exciting tenant mix. Its open

street atmosphere - featuring a variety of architectural treatments to reveal a range of different

vistas - has appealed to a number of retailers not typically associated with shopping centre

environments; Office Shoes are amongst those who have made their shopping centre debut.

A key part of the tenant mix strategy has been to create a series of mini-pitches for retailer

categories by taking advantage of the design of Bullring’s mall pattern to cluster similarly

branded concepts together at key points throughout the scheme.

Building around the two anchor department stores of Selfridges and Debenhams, Bullring’s

mall pattern has provided an opportunity to group brands in a series of prime locations

across the scheme’s three trading levels. Each has been defined by a different design

treatment to provide a distinct personality in terms of retail mix: high street fashion and

catering at lower level; young fashion and lifestyle retailing at mid-level; and aspirational

fashion on the upper level. At each level, the retail mix has been carefully designed to

complement and lead into the store offer on the corresponding level within each of the two

department stores.

Selfridges’ £40 million store is the retailer’s fourth UK department store. The iconic curved

structure of the building, with its cladding of 15,000 spun aluminium discs, brings a dramatic

fashion statement to the city, both in terms of its futuristic architectural design and in its

choice of branded designer collections.

At upper level, known as ‘Level 3 Upper’, shoppers will be drawn into the scheme via two

covered streets created as a natural extension to Birmingham’s main shopping pitches of

New Street and the High Street. The continuation of New Street into Bullring towards

Selfridges is the city’s focus for aspirational fashion retailers. Reiss, Karen Millen, All Saints,

French Connection, and COS are just some of the upmarket names within this part of

Bullring.

25

RETAILERS

Bullring three principle trading levels

The covered street continuing as an extension from the High Street towards Debenhams

provides a focus for mainstream fashion multiples such as Gap, H&M, Top Shop and River

Island. In between, St Martin’s Walk - the open air pedestrian boulevard running from

Birmingham’s landmark Rotunda building to the new public piazza of St Martin’s Square -

provides the focus for catering operators.

At mid-level, known as ‘Level 2 Middle’, the scheme provides direct access from Moor Street

Station to the east and New Street Station to the west, which are linked by a new cross mall

running the breadth of the scheme connecting Selfridges to Debenhams. Here, the tenant

mix has been geared towards younger fashion and lifestyle retailing, with retailers such as

Mango, Oasis, Wallis, Warehouse, and Dune arranged closest to Selfridges, while mainstream

lifestyle operators such as Boots and HMV, have clustered towards Debenhams.

At lower level, known as ‘Level 1 Lower’, Bullring provides the only shopping level with a direct

under-cover link between Selfridges and Debenhams, and has a key entrance onto St Martin’s

Square. The traditional high street line-up, with an offer ranging from sportswear, music,

mobile phones, footwear, greeting cards, health and beauty and fashion, provides a powerful

draw into the scheme at this level, which also leads directly into two-thirds of Bullring’s car

parking.

26

RETAILERS Selfridges

Selfridges is the ultimate place for new brands, experiences and ideas. With a stylish mix

of ingredients ranging from furniture to fashion, beauty and food, Selfridges is the definitive

shopping destination, demonstrating that shopping is about entertainment, inspiration and

fun.

Selfridges, world famous for its innovative window displays, houses over one million

products in a vibrant environment of cutting edge chic and contemporary design.

Selfridges currently has four stores in the UK, the original store in Oxford Street, London and

two stores in Manchester - in the Trafford Centre and in Exchange Square in the city centre,

with their latest offering here at Bullring.

Always pushing the boundaries of retail innovation, Selfridges works with modern designers

and architects to create exciting state-of-the-art retail spaces, to reflect the style and

ambience of its ever-changing brand portfolio. Ron Arad, Future Systems, Adjaye Associates

and Foster and Partners are some of the extraordinary designers and architects who have

added unique qualities to Selfridges.

As a retailer, Selfridges is a pioneer with an outstanding ability to tap into the zeitgeist,

introducing new concepts such as the Technology Hall - a high-tech futuristic space with the

latest and best in technology, the Health and Wellbeing Area - offering both traditional and

complementary medicine and therapies, and Inside Space art gallery – bringing the best in

contemporary art.

Nowhere is Selfridges’ intuitive and ground-breaking approach to design and retail more

evident than in the stores’ major promotions, which are pure retail theatre.

Major successes include the month-long Tokyo Life promotion in 2001 - a festival of

Japanese consumer culture, 23½ days of Bollywood in 2002 – the biggest celebration of

Bollywood film culture ever which generated over £10 million in PR coverage alone, Body

Craze – Selfridges’ month long spectacle exploring and exposing our fascination with the

human body and more recently Project Ocean- a conservation project focusing on

sustainable sourcing of fish

Selfridges has a strong association with the arts having sponsored numerous exhibitions and

established close links with distinguished galleries such as The Serpentine. It is also the first

ever store to wrap its exterior with the world’s largest photographic artwork, ‘XV Seconds’ by

acclaimed contemporary artist Sam Taylor Wood in 2000.

Selfridges’ commitment to retailing has attracted many awards including:

Drapers Record - Store of the Year Award

Glamour Magazine - Most Glamorous Department Store Award

Best Multiple Retailer (Drapers Awards 2008);

Best Retailer (Visit London People's Choice Awards 2008);

Store of the Decade (Retail Interiors Awards 2008),

Best Department Store in the World 2010.

27

RETAILERS

Debenhams

Debenhams Britain’s favourite department store, unveiled its largest ever new store at Bullrings Launch in

2003. The 19,230 m2 flagship ‘concept’ store brings Debenhams back to Birmingham after a 20

year absence and promises a ‘unique’ shopping experience, focusing on exceptional customer

service delivered with style, theatre and animation spread over four floors.

At Debenhams there’s plenty to choose from, spanning fashion, home, entertainment and a

whole range of services designed to make your shopping experience as enjoyable as possible.

As well as famous international labels and concessions, Debenhams’ unique own-brands span

women’s, men’s, childrenswear and home. Designers at Debenhams offer outstanding value

and quality, with famous names designing exclusive ranges, including J by Jasper Conran,

Butterfly by Matthew Williamson, Rocha by John Rocha, H! by Henry Holland. Core-brands

include Maine New England’s relaxed casual, sports and golfwear ranges, Red Herring’s funky,

young collections and a whole host of accessories for the whole family.

If you’re looking for stunning items for the home, then look no further. With designer names

including J Home by Jasper Conran, Rocha John Rocha, and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s

range of Kitchen Wear, you’ll be spoilt for choice. In addition there’s a whole host of

essentials for every room in the house and electrical goods from lights to DVD players and

plasma screen TV’s.

Debenhams’ extensive services include two personal shoppers - offering free expert advice with

no obligation to buy in a private consultation room, four treatment rooms, Wedding Service,

disabled facilities and spacious changing areas as well as Debenhams’ store card and Nectar,

Britain’s biggest reward-card programme. In addition, there’s Café Venue for light refreshments

and a restaurant, offering a full, tasty menu with parent friendly facilities, including free baby

food with any adult meal purchased, bottle warmers, stay warm plates, high chairs and free

baby wipes. No wonder Debenhams is officially Tommy’s, the baby charity’s, most parent

friendly department store 2003.

Debenhams have won a number of awards in recent years including:

Fabulous Magazine- Best One Stop Shop

Prima Magazine – Best Accessories

Lorraine (ITV) – Best Department Store

28

CUSTOMER SERVICE A number of customer service initiatives, incorporating the latest technology, have been created

for visitors to enjoy the Bullring experience to the full. Others provide a rapid response to

support shoppers in the event of lost children and lost property.

Website

Launched in August 2003, Bullring’s consumer website: www.bullring.co.uk was designed to

provide shoppers with an interesting and varied source of information, even before they make

their journey to Bullring. Along with sections on Bullring’s history, development and facts and

figures the website provides a comprehensive store directory with the ability to search by a

particular store, product or brand. For those with limited time, the website has the ability to

plan individual shopper routes which can be printed out, so that shoppers can use their time at

Bullring most efficiently. The website also provides details on opening times, car parking, and

events plus travel information, including travel maps.

Customer Service Desk

Located on Bullring’s ‘Level 2 Middle’, the desk is manned by a dedicated team of Customer

Service Assistants to provide help on a range of services, from store location, car park help

and lost property. Also available are mall guides and details of local train, bus and coach

information and timetables.

In-mall Touchscreens

22 touchscreens located throughout Bullring allow customers to browse shops on the

interactive store directory, view event listings, keep up to date on special retailer offers and

promotions, and obtain details of public transport information, as well as the latest career

opportunities available at Bullring.

Bullring Touchscreens

http://www.bullring.co.uk/

29

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Plasma Screens

27 x 60 inch plasma screens situated throughout the centre provide a vibrant and

continuous display of retailer promotions, special offers and Bullring events.

Transport Information

Details of local train, bus, and coach information and timetables are available from the

Customer Service Desk, as well as via the in-mall touchscreens, and via Bullring’s consumer

website. All sources are linked up to the city’s travel information network to provide the latest

travel news, including traffic updates.

Personal Shopper Lockers

18 lockers located near to the entrance from Moor Street Station, at ‘Level 1 Lower’, are

available for shoppers to store their purchases. These can be accessed during opening

hours, and are large enough to store motorbike helmets.

30

TRANSPORT

Moor Street Train Station

As part of the development of Bullring, the defunct Edwardian station of Moor Street adjacent to

the scheme has been refurbished and renovated by The Birmingham Alliance, and is to be

brought back into use as the gateway to Bullring and Birmingham from London Marylebone via

commuter towns such as Solihull, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Banbury and High Wycombe.

Architects, Simons Designs, have recaptured the flavour of Moor Street Station, in the style of the Great

Western Railway, as it would have been in its heyday in the mid 1930s..

The restored platforms of the old station were once again connected to the rail system in

2005, when Network Rail’s re-signalling programme was completed. The original ticket office

was re-opened after 16 years, and is operated by Chiltern Railways, enabling passengers to

access the station’s existing lines via the fully restored building.

Opened in 1909, Moor Street Station was built to alleviate congestion at Snow Hill, and

provided a spur terminus on the old London-Birmingham GWR route from Paddington, dealing

mainly with southbound suburban and holiday traffic. It was also the northern terminus for

North Warwickshire Line services between 1909 and 1987. The station was completed in 1910

and a goods station opened in 1914 to deal with market produce.

The original Moor Street Station was closed in 1987. The two platforms which also opened

that year have remained operational.

The Birmingham Alliance and Chiltern Railways have gone to great lengths to ensure that the

station and the various railway paraphernalia is authentic or features exact replicas of original

railway equipment, such as the water towers, water crane and entrance canopies.

Moor Street Station fully restored

31

TRANSPORT

The redevelopment of Moor Street Station has involved:

• The reinstatement of two railway tracks

• The refurbishment of the old station buildings to the original design

• The rebuilding of the original ticket office

• The reintroduction of shops

• New waiting room and rest rooms

• New taxi rank and drop-off zone

• Pedestrian crossings leading directly to Bullring

• Run-around and watering facilities for Shakespeare Express Service steam locomotives.

The former Booking Hall entrance from Snow Hill has been incorporated into the new

entrance canopy, faithfully reproduced to an original Great Western Railway design.

Chiltern Railways continue to run trains on the two existing operational tracks, while a

renovated Great Western Railway steam locomotive occupies a ‘dormant’ track as an evocative

reminder of the great days of steam travel, with a replica Great Western Railway water tank

and tower also installed. A number of Great Western Railway styled lamps have also been

reintroduced onto the station platforms.

The magnificent wrought iron gates that originally led into the booking hall concourse at

Snow Hill Station and which feature the Great Western Railway initials, have been donated by

the Birmingham Railway Museum to form the entrance way of the new taxi rank.

The construction team involved in the redevelopment of Moor Street Station included:

Sir Robert McAlpine as design and management contractors; Gardiner & Theobald as quantity

surveyors; The Waterman Partnership as civil and structural engineers; WSP as building

services engineers; Montagu Evans as planning consultants and Wragge & Co as legal

advisors.

New Street Train Station

New Street is Birmingham's busiest local and national railway station in the region. The

station is at the heart of the national network and is a key hub for Virgin trains.

New Street is conveniently situated just outside Bullring and close to other city centre attractions.

Over 140,000 passengers use New Street every day, more than double the number it was designed to cater for. Due to this Work started on the gateway project in April 2010

The Gateway project will transform Birmingham's New Street station to create a stunning 21st century transport hub for Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The project will also bring major economic benefits, helping economic growth by creating new jobs and stimulating regeneration. The project is due for completion in 2015

32

TRANSPORT Birmingham International Airport - BHX

In 1984 the new passenger terminal facilities were opened at Birmingham International

Airport. Further extensions to the passenger terminal facilities followed, but in 1991 a

second passenger terminal was opened and named 'Eurohub'.

Birmingham International Airport is just minutes from Birmingham City Centre by direct train link to New Street Station and is also well served by the regional motorway network.

Communications and access

• Motorway access provided by an excellent road network linked to all major

motorways via the M6, M42 and M5

• Flight connections to major European cities from Birmingham Airport

• Direct access to two main line train stations - Birmingham New Street Station to the west and Moor

Street Station to the east - both within two minutes walking distance

• Rail links via Intercity to New Street Station

• Rail links via the Chiltern Line to Moor Street Station

• New bus and taxi link road beneath Bullring, providing cross-city transport between New Street and

Moor Street Stations

• Bus interchange at New Street Station for the 45, 45A, 47, 61, 62A and 63A bus routes into the city

• Pedestrian access, connecting Smallbrook Queensway and New Street Station with

the junction of New Street and High Street, will form part of the new 24-hour route

connecting New Street and Moor Street Stations

• Pedestrian access via St Martin’s Walk connecting New Street and High Street to St

Martin’s Square and the markets

• Dedicated city bus - Centrebus 77 - serving all the main market and shopping areas,

with stops directly outside the Indoor Market, St Martin’s Market and the open market

running every 12 minutes from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm Monday to Saturday.

• 3,100 new car parking spaces: 900 in the Indoor Market; 1,000 directly below Bullring

with access to all shopping levels; 1,200 adjacent to Bullring in a new multi-storey car

park near Moor Street Station which is connected to Selfridges via a new bridge link

33

PUBLIC ART & LANDSCAPING The Birmingham Alliance has invested £2 million in a major programme of public artworks

for Bullring’s public realm. The programme, which was designed to attract the creative

talents of artists and designers from across the country to contribute to Bullring’s new

public spaces, was developed by arts consultants Free Form Arts Trust.

Under the aegis of The Birmingham Alliance, and working with Bullring’s management team

and architects, Benoy, Free Form created a programme which has brought new landmark

artworks to the city centre to enrich the key public spaces within the scheme, and give

expression to its rich cultural heritage. The results are set to position Bullring as a leading

European city destination.

Sculptural Light Wands by Peter Fink, from Art 2 Architecture

A landmark beacon visible from across the city centre, the Light Wands act as ‘three graces’ to

the Rotunda building, mediating the impact of its height. Designed to announce Bullring’s

entrance at Rotunda Square - at the junction of St Martin’s Walk, New Street, High Street and

Swan Passage - the Light Wands take the form of three coloured carbon fibre masts rising 20,

25 and 30 metres in height to resemble glowing plant like structures, with the tallest of the

three wands aligned to the spire of St Martin’s Church.

Each of the three masts is ringed with a stainless steel sheath at its base, with the masts

themselves composed of advanced carbon fibre material. With the engineering of the masts

carried out by Technica and the manufacturing by Advanced Marine Structures, the technology

provides very strong, lightweight structures and is more typically employed in high performance

yacht manufacturing.

The wands feature rotating ‘leaves’ of stainless steel which limit the degree of gyration in the

upper parts of the mast to a gentle swaying action. Internally lit in shades of orange, pink and

green, the wands echo the lighting theme used in the water sculpture in St Martin’s Square to

animate the structures at night.

Glass signature piece by Martin Donlin

This vibrant contemporary glass design marks the New Street Station entrance to Bullring.

Visitors pass under a massive 120 m2 glass mural so vivid it is visible both day and night. The

installation is the work of one of the UK’s most exciting architectural glass artists, Martin

Donlin, who won the competition to find the most inspirational design.

Donlin’s glass artwork takes the form of an abstract interpretation of Bullring itself, made up of

bold images in blues, greens, reds and yellows. Brilliant colours have been achieved by screen

printing the images onto transparent and opaque enamels, visible both inside and out. A closer

inspection reveals delicate hand painted detail. The glass manufacturing was carried out by

Space Decks.

34

PUBLIC ART & LANDSCAPING

Bronze Bull by Laurence Broderick

Sculptor Laurence Broderick's five tonnes bronze bull stands as a 2.2 metre high symbol of

Bullring's significance to Birmingham. The twice life size sculpture - which takes the form of a

massive bull turning in motion - greets visitors as they enter the main gateway to Bullring, just

off Rotunda Square.

Commissioned both to herald Birmingham's regeneration and its history, it reflects the

characteristics that are synonymous with the bull - courage, strength, trade and the market

place.

As a symbol and icon of civic pride, the bull has been adopted by the people of Birmingham as

a 21st century mascot and is one of the most photographed landmarks in the country One of

the largest bronze animal sculptures in the UK, the piece is modelled on the Hereford Bull, an

animal with strong historical associations with Birmingham.

The bronze casting of the bull was carried out by Gloucestershire-based foundry Pangolin Editions.

Admiral Nelson

A five tonnes bronze statue of Nelson, dating from 1809, has been restored after 40 years of

neglect on the outskirts of the old Bull Ring. Commissioned in memory of Nelson’s visit to

Birmingham in 1802, the statue is the earliest known public work by Sir Richard Westmacott,

one of the Victorian era's most famous sculptors, and is also the first sculpture of the admiral

created in the UK in tribute to his death after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Reinstated to take

its historically prominent position within the Bullring site, the bronze is located on the mid-level

terrace overlooking Spiceal Street and St Martin’s Square, on a newly created Portland stone

plinth. Restoration work was carried out by Shropshire based firm Eura.

35

PUBLIC ART & LANDSCAPING Swan Passage: 24-hour route railings by Anu Patel

Swan Passage reinstates an historic pedestrian walkway and provides a new 24-hour pedestrian

route connecting New Street Station to Moor Street Station. While providing an important link

across this section of the city, the walkway also presented the opportunity to create a visually

exciting experience with the creation of bespoke railings to clearly define the walkway. Designed

by talented local artist Anu Patel, the strong design and bright colours of the railings are a

response to the vibrant multicultural life of this 24-hour city. Images appearing on steel panels

at intermittent intervals along the route tell Birmingham’s ‘stories’ from rural settlements,

moving through to contemporary industries, cultural life and commerce.

Small scale community artwork project

Two text-based installations were designed by Free Form to engage Bullring visitors in a journey of discovery and to literally express young people’s part in their city’s future.

Free Form co-ordinated the creation and installation of these community-based art projects to engender a sense of ownership, involving local school groups through creativity and learning.

Managed by Birmingham artist Lenora Minto, working alongside Free Form artist Isabella Lockett, they devised a series of workshops with school children to generate images and words describing the development of Bullring. These have been made into bricks and installed as a craft trail within the fabric of the buildings.

Over 650 bricks were crafted to encompass the site, and themes depicted included: ‘Made in Birmingham’; Birmingham firsts; quotations and poems about the city, the history of the Bullring site and its heritage; and facts and figures about the site.

The works of local poets, Alison Solomon and Simon Pitt, winners of the artist and writer competition held as part of the programme, are carved in the stone pilasters along St Martin’s Walk. UB40 were approached to choose the lyrics from ‘Sing Our Own Song’ which appear adjacent to the water feature in St Martin’s Square.

Artists in residence

As a unique record, artists Faith Pearson, Lee Lapthorn, Sheilagh Jevons, Alicia Dubnycki and architect James Utting from Benoy were commissioned to record the process of Bullring’s construction. Each artist has approached the commission in a different way; from model making, fabric prints, photomontage, and paintings in watercolours and oils. Adrian Ensor has also carried out a unique photographic record of Bullring’s construction progress.

Meteorite by Cornelia Parker

On the night of 26th March 2000, international artist Cornelia Parker fired off a rocket from Birmingham’s Rotunda containing powdered meteorite that had fallen in China in 1516. Two plaques in St Martin’s Square mark the site of the rocket’s landfall.

36

PUBLIC ART & LANDSCAPING

Spiceal Street Public Art

‘Timbre’ is a 13.5m structure, which stands adjacent to the Browns Bar & Brasserie. It was

designed by Birmingham-born artist, Wolfgang Buttress and was inspired by the concept of the

sound-waves created when a tree is cut down and falls to the ground. Wolfgang created the

sculpture with a stainless steel core, which incorporates a spiral created from the copper

reclaimed from the roof of the Spiral Café which previously stood on the site.

Water Feature

Birmingham-born Simon Turner, a published page poet, and Steve Camden (aka Polarbear), a

popular spoken word performer, co-wrote a poem, which takes inspiration from the character of

the area and the city. The poetry has been engraved into the granite stone of the water feature,

which was unveiled 24th November 2011.

Green Wall

Spiceal Street’s Green Wall is situated between Browns Bar & Brasserie and Chaophraya

facing up towards St. Martin’s Walk. A total of 560 plants in 8 different varieties have been used

to create the green wall.

37

MARKETING

Catchment Area

Within the 60 minute drivetime there are 7.2 million people, 4.3 million of these are within the

45 minute drivetime. The total annual spend within our catchment area, on non-food product

categories is £7.7 billion per annum.

Marketing Overview

The role of the Marketing Team at Bullring is to establish brand positioning and to create a

brand that is well recognized and first choice for the consumer and retailer alike.

In practical terms this achieved with the use of:

• Advertising: television, outdoor media, radio

• Electronic media: website, touchscreens, plasma screen network

• PR

• On-site events

• Research

38

MARKETING

Bullring undertakes a series of research initiatives throughout the year Biannual Visitor Survey This happens in January and July and involves an on-site survey of 2000 visitors. The survey covers a

number of topics that include travelling to and from Bullring; duration of shopping visit, money

spent, shops visited, eating and drinking, motivations to visiting, customer service levels and

advertising.

Catchment Survey

Again this is conducted twice a year and involves 2000 telephone interviews with households

within Bullring catchment area. This survey examines consumers attitudes towards Bullring

and the other regional shopping destinations in the Midlands area.

Focus Groups

Focus or discussion groups are vital and provide an insight into consumers thoughts about

Bullring. These can provide an extended discussion forum that truly allow members of the

group to express their opinions about Bullring and shopping in general.

The findings of these groups and other research can then be used to refine the marketing

strategy ensuring success.

Research Findings

• 70% of visitors are female

• 64% of visitors have children in their household

• 46% of visitors travel to Bullring by car

• 26% of visitors travel to Bullring by bus

• 20% of visitors travel to Bullring by train

• 31% of visitors visit at least once a month

September 2010 Bullring Visitor Survey

39

DDA

The Disability Discrimination Act requires service providers to ensure that people with

disabilities have reasonable access to the services provided and that service providers

do not unreasonably discriminate against people that have a disability.

Bullring works with a number of external consultants to continually review services we

provide ensuring we are compliant to the DDA. We also work with our retailers

encouraging them to comply to these important regulations.

The act covers all elements of the business including access, policies, procedures,

training, health and safety and the website.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Bullring has an environmental responsibility and has recently introduced an Environmental

Management System (EMS.) This has been accreditation to the ISO 14001 standard, out

of which the EMS Working Group was created.

This group discusses topical issues, monitors Bullrings performance and implements new

processes where appropriate.

Various subject are discussed and these include

CO2 emissions

Energy consumption

Waste

Electricity

Water

Gas

Spillages

The Environmental Policy gives the overall direction to the business in terms of its

environmental agenda. This policy details 4 main objectives:

To substantially reduce of carbon footprint

To maximise the efficient of our use of natural resources

To reduce waste and increase recycling

To prevent pollution and contamination wherever possible

40

USEFUL LINKS For further information about current events or vacancies at Bullring please visit the

website www.bullring.co.uk or alternatively contact our Customer Service team via email

[email protected].

For further information about Birmingham please use the website links below Birmingham East Side Regeneration – Digbeth

www.east-side.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

www.bci.org.uk

Marketing Birmingham www.birmingham.org.uk

Birmingham Universities

www.bham.ac.uk www.uce.ac.uk

Birmingham Information Resources

www.birminghamuk.com Birmingham NEC Group

www.necgroup.co.uk Birmingham City Council

www.birmingham.gov.uk Centro

www.centro.org.uk Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

www.bmag.org.uk Birmingham Arts www.birminghamarts.org.uk

Birmingham Disability Resources Centre

www.disability.co.uk Mac Birmingham

www.mac-birmingham.org.uk Birmingham 101 – online magazine

www.birmingham101.com Virtual Brum

www.virtual-brum.co.uk IC Birmingham

www.icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk

http://www.bullring.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

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