Edinburgh architects win Centenary Square design contest

The Edinburgh-based practice Graeme Massie Architects has won the international competition to redesign Centenary Square, one of Birmingham's largest and most important public spaces.

The winner was chosen from a shortlist of five, which was selected in January from 185 entries from around the world.

A new look for the square

The competition was launched last year after the new Library of Birmingham opened on the square in 2013. Several features of the square's previous design were removed during the building and opening of the library, and the council wants a new design that brings the space together and matches the ambition of the buildings around it.

The five shortlisted teams included Atkins, Barton Willmore and Broadway Malyan, as well as the eventual winner. The winning design is expected to feature a mix of trees and planting, water, and space for events and gatherings.

A square with a long history

Centenary Square was named in 1989 to mark the centenary of Birmingham being granted city status. It sits on the north side of Broad Street, surrounded by some of the city's most important buildings, including the Library of Birmingham, the REP theatre, Baskerville House, the International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall, and the Hall of Memory, the city's memorial to the First World War.

The area was once a district of small workshops and canal wharves. In the 1920s, the council bought the land for a grand civic centre, which was to include museums, council offices, a cathedral and an opera house. Only the Hall of Memory, completed in 1925, and part of Baskerville House were built before the Second World War brought the plans to a halt.

In 1991, the square was redesigned to go with the new International Convention Centre, with paving, railings and lamps designed by the artist Tess Jaray, a fountain and several sculptures.

A city of events

The square is used for many of the city's biggest events, including New Year's Eve celebrations, Remembrance Day services and arts festivals. In winter it is home to an ice rink and a big wheel.

The new design will need to work for those events, as well as for the thousands of people who pass through the square every day on their way to the library, the theatres and Broad Street.

Part of a wider change

The redesign is part of a wider transformation of this part of the city centre. Work has begun on the Paradise redevelopment between Centenary Square and Chamberlain Square, which will see the old Central Library demolished and new office buildings and public spaces created. The Metro tram line is also due to be extended through the area in the coming years.

The council will now work with the architects to develop the design, and to secure funding for the work. No date has yet been set for construction to begin.