Former department store to be transformed into well-being-designed offices

The Birmingham city council voted unanimously in favour of British property development and investment company, Hammerson, to start planning the transformation of a former department store at Grand Central into 200,000 square feet of well being-designed offices, named ‘Drum’.

The property is part of its Birmingham Estate and will embody a new exemplar of a city centre workplace whilst further capitalising and stimulating value for stakeholders, the local economy and the city as a whole, as explained in a release.

The ground floor will be designed to appeal to tenants and support the worker’s and visitor’s experience, by fitting out the existing food and hospitality space with restaurant, bar and food market, and grocery offers, as well as gym, wellbeing facilities and flexible event space. Additionally, a rooftop garden lounge will be created.

An extension of the inner courtyard through all four floors and green walls on all levels will open up the space and create a connection between the different heights.

Sustainable efforts are high, as claimed in the statement, and a number of certificates and high ratings are the eventual aim for the project. 14,000 tonnes of co2 shall be saved, as the building is repurposed and not built from scratch.

Chief development and asset repositioning officer at Hammerson, Harry Badham, said in the release: “Drum is a great demonstration of how Hammerson’s creativity and a deep understanding of occupier needs can create assets that thrive by diversifying their purpose to accommodate an even greater range of uses and users.”