BAM appointed for Bullring façade project
Hemel Hempstead / Birmingham, 1 December 2020 - BAM Construction has been appointed by Hammerson to deliver major renovation work on the iconic Selfridges building at Bullring. The work has just commenced and will complete during 2022. The store will remain open throughout and trade as normal.
BAM is currently behind a quarter of a billion pounds of new buildings in the half-mile walk between Chamberlain Square and Snow Hill. The scheme will see the building’s 16,000 aluminium disks removed, cleaned, restored and stored while the building’s facade is replaced and a new layer of insulation installed.
Dave Ellis, Director of BAM Construction in the Midlands, said:
‘This is an iconic building that everybody recognises, with an iconic brand behind it. BAM is going to restore it to its original best. Modern point cloud techniques have allowed us to work more efficiently on the details of these 16,000 disks.
Given the need to erect extensive scaffolding around this very central building, we are working at night to minimise any impact at ground level during the day.’
A team of architects, cladding specialists and structural engineers will deliver the complex programme of works and restore the building.
During the work, the building will be wrapped in a striking patterned hoarding created by Birmingham-born fashion designer and artist Osman Yousefzada. This will be the designer’s first piece of public art, which he has entitled The Dogtooth Flower.
Once this has taken place, the building will be re-painted in the original eye-catching Yves Klein Blue before the disks are re-attached. The building, whose radical design was inspired by a 1960s Paco Rabanne chainmail dress, has become one of Birmingham’s most distinctive contemporary landmarks and a tourist attraction in its own right. It will retain its architectural might once the work is complete and the wrap and scaffolding are removed.
Since the building’s original construction there have been major advances both in construction and building standards as well as insulation. The renovation works and insulation upgrade will deliver an improvement in U Values (the rate of transfer of heat through a building), making the building more energy efficient to run whilst improving its carbon footprint. This is consistent with BAM’s and Hammerson’s Net Positive strategy.
About Hammerson
Hammerson create vibrant, continually evolving spaces, in and around thriving European cities, with a focus on flagship retail destinations and Premium Outlets. As of 30 June 2020, our portfolio of high quality venues had a value of £7.7 billion and included 21 flagship destinations in thriving cities, and investments in premium outlet villages through our partnership with Value Retail. Key retail venues include Bullring & Grand Central, Birmingham, Bicester Village, Oxfordshire, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin, and Les Terrasses du Port, Marseille.
About BAM
Established in 1869, BAM has become one of the world’s most advanced contractors, specialising in modern technology, sustainability and an integrated whole life approach to buildings. Its UK business has created iconic retail buildings such as Harvey Nichols, Peter Robinsons, Libertys and many others. BAM’s ethos is highly collaborative, allowing it to focus on adding social value through its iconic buildings by engaging with the communities around its work to enhance their life chances.
In Birmingham the company raised over £20,000 for charity last year and is responsible for the construction of Birmingham’s newest commercial buildings at Chamberlain Square and Snow Hill, while it is also behind the highest commercial building outside of London at 103 Colmore Row, currently under construction.
Further information: Mark Slattery, Press and Media Manager, BAM Construct UK Ltd, 01442 238415.