YEAR 3 - The Creative Hub (GROUP)

INTRODUCTION:

This 4 week-long project focuses on the Birmingham’s creative quarter, Digbeth. It is an area of historical industrial importance, which includes the Typhoo Tea Factory and the Custard Factory. Developments have started and are ongoing in Digbeth, with focus on regeneration of existing buildings and structures.

Digbeth is an area of central Birmingham that became heavily industrialised over the past century. Through studying historical maps, we discovered that 1890s Digbeth was very residential with small dwellings across the Typhoo site. Over the next few decades Digbeth developed industrially into an area that is dominated by large factories and warehouses due to advancements in transport.

Evolution of production meant these factories were not needed like they once were, so these spaces became 'forgotten'. It has not been until recent years that the area has began to come back to life with new developments. Digbeth is a popular area with graffiti artists, and a new arts scene is beginning to emerge as it is dubbed as Birmingham’s ‘CREATIVE QUARTER’. Surrounding developments in the area include HS2 Curzon Street, Smithfield development and the extension of the Custard Factory.

The Typhoo Tea Factory and it’s immediate site is the primary focus of our regeneration. Focusing on local artists, design students, small business owners and families we have created the Digbeth Creative Hub as our main catalyst for development in Digbeth to encourage more activity and bring a new lease of life to the area

THE MASTERPLAN:

The final masterplan reuses the abandoned Typhoo Tea Factory to create the Digbeth Creative Hub, our main catalyst in the redevelopment of the area. It is a space designed to be shared by the local creative community, and includes spaces such as :

- Shared studio spaces for the creative students of Birmingham e.g. BCU, BIMM Institute etc.
- Lecture space
- Business Incubator spaces
- Gallery Extension
- Performance & Rehearsal space

These activities occur mainly at the upper floors, whilst ground level stays open to the general public and includes retail, restaurants, cafés and bars along the canal extension to ensure activity throughout day and evening.

Surrounding activities act as mini catalysts to attract more activity to the site i.e. creating a place for events to happen in the future & depending on season e.g. food & drink festival, music gigs, Christmas markets, art exhibitions etc. Our site is perfectly located for this kind of activity due to easy access to and from with the new tram link and the HS2 development. The area is softened and made to feel more welcoming by the introduction of numerous pocket parks across the site and further - something we would hope to see in future developments across Digbeth.

Whilst the final masterplan does not directly address the lack of housing in the Digbeth area, we were conscious it would not have made much sense to detail it into the immediate site. Our hopes are that the catalysts will encourage housing to be built around the site - a perfect location for live work
housing between our design offering business start-ups / incubators and the new HS2 development making it easier for commuters.

Approach from below Viaduct

Outdoor Bath & Canal

Canalside Wharf

Food Market

Approach from above Viaduct

Plans and Elevation studies can be seen below:

DIGBETH BY NIGHT:

The final masterplan also aims to make Digbeth a safe place by night, and reduce antisocial behaviour in the area. String lights are a reoccurring feature seen throughout the current site, so the masterplan will continue and enhance this through the addition of further lighting. Night time spaces & catalysts also encourage more activity at night time e.g. restaurants & bars centred around the Creative Hub Wharf and beneath the viaduct as well as events such as live performances and seasonal markets e.g. Christmas markets.

Activities within The Creative Hub

Daytime & Seasonal Activities within the Masterplan

Activity in the Evening

Creating more pedestrian routes through Digbeth will replace car’s being at the forefront of current design routes, this will encourage more people to site and encourage more wondering. The Creative Hub and Typhoo Plaza will act as a central catalyst at the heart of the masterplan and proposed routes, acting as magnet to draw more pedestrians to site.

Redeveloping the viaduct into a ‘highline’ also creates a new pedestrian route onto site that was previously not used before. This will link the city centre, across the masterplan to the Custard Factory.

The demolition of certain structures provides us with plenty of material that can be recycled to provide temporary set ups / pop ups to host these events. E.g. recycled steel from the demolition of the middle block of the Typhoo Tea Factory can be used to create a temporary stage structure to host a music performance.