Adding Spice(al) to the Bullring

As the Bullring celebrates it's seventh birthday, Bullring celebrates seven years of success, with over 267 million shoppers it has unveiled plans for a new restaurant hub of seven restaurants.

Three new outlets providing 10,000 sq ft will be built, under a 'ribbon concept' curved roof linking them, and sit alongside three existing restaurants and a new Italian eatery owned by Jamie Oliver which will open in Autumn in lower floor of the former Border's book store. The overall 20,000 sf ft project has been designed by archtects Chapman Taylor.

The scheme is named, Spiceal Street, and draws on the original Spiceal Street which stood on the site and which was famed for it's spices, grocery and meat trade.
The redevelopment of the Bull Ring in 2003 allowed the developers to reintroduce the street layouts which were removed by the 1960s Bullring with the keyword of 'permeability' being used by designers Bennoy. Bennoy developed the central walkway which by maintaining the tunnel underneath for buses and taxis has raised the pavement level and steepened the slope down to St Martin's Church. The Spiceal Street development fits into the sweeping crescent that was developed two thirds of the way down the hill of the central walkway due to it's slope being too steep for disable access.

The slope was even documented in 1783 by Birmingham Historian William Hutton who said "From the eminence upon which the High-street stands, proceeds a steep, and regular descent into Moor-street, Digbeth, down Spiceal-street… This descent is broken only by the church-yard" http://www.spicealstreet.co.uk/history/.

The development will replace the fountain and Marks Barfield’s multi award-winning Spiral Café Spiral cafe expected to move elsewhere. The cafe, only five years old, is formed of eight curved “ribs” enclosing the seating and serving area, http://www.bdonline.co.uk/new-bullring-plans-set-to-move-marks-barfield-café/5005343.article. The development will also see a new wall and water feature together with improved pedestrian links from St Martin's Walk to St Martin's Square.

A planning application will be lodged in October with work on the new scheme starting at the end of the year





More details on the scheme can be viewed and comments registered on the site http://www.spicealstreet.co.uk/