Birmingham’s new tallest building, One Eastside, has reached practical completion. The scheme comprises 667 new rental homes, and the first residents have now moved into phase one of the development.
Global consultancy and project and cost manager, MGAC, supported the delivery of the scheme for developer, Sphere Group (formerly Court Collaboration) from inception, through to the start of construction in March 2023 and completion this summer. MGAC’s role included project management, cost management and health and safety services.
Glancy Nicholls Architects secured planning consent for the scheme, before Weedon Architects led the detailed design and construction stages. The scheme provided a complex logistical challenge, with the site sitting adjacent to the new HS2 station and flanked by busy roads on two sides and university campuses on the other two. As a result, much of the scheme was constructed off-site.
Bathrooms and utility cupboards arrived as finished pods, manufactured in a factory by JRL Modular and craned into place before each floor was sealed. The building’s unitised façade was made off-site in ready-to-fit panels and installed floor by floor. The concrete cores were formed using slip-form construction, in which the mould climbs continuously as concrete is poured, allowing the towers to rise without pause.
Chris Barker, executive director at MGAC, said: “One Eastside required us to solve several complex challenges at once: delivering Birmingham’s tallest building on a highly constrained city-centre site, coordinating up to four tower cranes, and maintaining rigorous quality assurance throughout the programme.”
“What makes this project significant is not simply its height. It is the way the team combined careful planning, off-site manufacturing, and close collaboration to deliver an ambitious new landmark safely and on schedule. One Eastside has transformed Birmingham’s skyline, and we are incredibly proud to have helped bring it to life.”
At its highest point, One Eastside stands 155.5 metres tall, and MGAC says that its scale, design and extensive resident amenities reflect the growing ambition of Build-to-Rent beyond London and Birmingham’s continued evolution as a major residential destination.
