PwC is first to make the move to Paradise project
BIg Four financial services firm PwC has become the first tenant to set up home in the £700 million Paradise development in Birmingham city centre.
The company has relocated about 2,000 staff from its base of 27 years in Cornwall Street to One Chamberlain Square, where it plans to recruit a further 300 people by the end of the year.
One Chamberlain Square is the first building to be completed as part of the project, with PwC signing a deal for all the office space.
It is the firm’s largest office outside London and will soon be joined by Indian restaurant Dishoom, which is due to open in the spring on the ground floor of the seven-storey complex.
The office accommodation incorporates design cues from elements of Birmingham’s identity, including the original markets, Jewellery Quarter, textiles and industrial manufacturing.
The second building at Paradise, Two Chamberlain Square, is due for completion later this year and will be home to law firm DLA Piper and wine bar and restaurant operator Vinoteca, also opening in the spring. Matthew hammond, senior partner and Midlands chairman, said: “It is with immense pride on behalf of all those involved in PwC’s investment in One Chamberlain Square that we move into our new home in the very heart of Birmingham and the UK. Many years’ hard work by our colleagues and the development partners have made the visionary scheme for Paradise, and in particular One Chamberlain Square, a reality.”
Construction recently started on the third building at Paradise, One Centenary Way, and the overall project will have up to eight new office blocks, a hotel and public realm.
Rob groves, regional director at Argent which is project managing Paradise, added: “Welcoming PwC to One Chamberlain Square is the culmination of years of work and planning.
“This is a truly transformational year for the development, with Two Chamberlain Square completing and work under way on the delivery of One Centenary Way.
“We are delighted that PwC will be with us throughout the remainder of our journey to deliver Birmingham’s premier business address.”