We’re converting a former department store in Birmingham’s Grand Central into a future-focused workplace with sustainability and wellbeing at its heart. Targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’, an EPC A rating, a ‘Gold’ WELL Standard for occupier wellbeing and a ‘Platinum’ WiredScore certification, our design for client Hammerson retains the existing structure and innovatively extends the atrium to create a full-height, expansive 5-storey communal space in the centre of the building. With 200,000ft² of workspace and great transport connections, the 2000-person scheme will be one of the best-connected places to work in the city.
We’re extending the former department store’s atrium to create a sweeping, open space that widens as it rises through all four floors, providing visual connectivity between the levels and drawing the eye up to the glazed rooflight above, which will bring daylight down through the heart of the scheme. The atrium will also lead to a newly created rooftop garden lounge – an important communal amenity for users – and green walls on each level will give the appearance of the garden spilling back down through the building.
We’re introducing a rich amenities offer on the gallery level that promotes collaboration and wellbeing, with conference and event spaces, flexible innovation space, a fitness hub and end-of-trip cycling facilities. Hospitality venues will also invite the public in, creating a vibrant space above one of the country’s best-connected transport interchanges.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-atrium-Jan-2023.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=333e218a374d5a291ceca20999ded188 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-atrium-Jan-2023.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=3d72e071749c53e0488570eafa9e38e3 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-atrium-Jan-2023.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=f6cc80f51cb9a0c709e711dee72bade2 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-atrium-Jan-2023.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=55a7e55c6339adfd4006792eeb6c993e 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-atrium-Jan-2023.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=788&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=eed29c73e75775c7c8962dfedb711ad2 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-atrium-Jan-2023.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=900&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=3779318731dea8e0d2fd8c52f3be797d 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-atrium-Jan-2023.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1080&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=71f7deeff05f174516de79b633f5e9fa 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-Offices-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=2125112f84005db679d51f75dca21959 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-Offices-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=1594643626d3a0c2f80da17ad6d513dd 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-Offices-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=d60319c4deed737511979ccb99daf80b 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-Offices-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=5eb373f2648ddc4b2cca5f0c120aafe6 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-Offices-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=788&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=d990bfb9202f6dc5804759fd9519ca31 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-Offices-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=900&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=f753f61e81232a7cddb0b2117d2ccf5a 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-Offices-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1080&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=e2fa4e876fe954586e92cd788f338e0f 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-II-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=7dfd7f6be405b91c297496cb5b92d93b 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-II-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=f6ee4a86d7800c4e23cfba53d479b740 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-II-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=dc654c16f68b554e1e33f78bfc98174e 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-II-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=2c19aa08faf618fb22fc6c8b5d007c59 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-II-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=788&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=ecc97d3720a522e3dc3e7a0ec6e6b622 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-II-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=900&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=45dcaf9ca058c35297350d9915d0eff6 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-II-Mar-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1080&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=60830ca17e68af95467658dc1740fea7 1920w)
Transforming a retail space into a modern workplace
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-Jan-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=118&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=74d9da3109f00bde6f61055b7b5a5a14 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-Jan-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=236&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=0b783eecc9dba60aec2502c51e59f3cd 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-Jan-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=432&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=76cdae8834ef5c7df4dcbe76ade01225 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-Jan-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=67d53cb9e9443a64abb491fdc2f7f351 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-Jan-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=788&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=1bc682640d3e1608f9d63c1f8dbe688f 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-Jan-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=900&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=4a1343e8f2cbb8af6f2a950331e87568 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FHammerson-Drum-FB-Jan-2023-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1080&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=a605399d2fc87d0fe2e885a18e00396e 1920w)