Project: Octagon, Birmingham
Sector: Build-to-rent
Client: City Developments (CDL) / MEPC
Main Contractor: Midgard
Architects: Glenn Howells Architects
Furniture: Contemporary fitted kitchens
Contract value: £2.3m
The Project
At 49 storeys high, Octagon will be the world’s tallest octagonal residential tower and the tallest building in Birmingham. This major residential scheme will provide 370 serviced apartments which will be some of the most desirable homes for private rent in the UK.
Due for completion in 2025, Octagon is a key feature of the Paradise development which is bringing a new urban neighbourhood to the heart of Birmingham. It will create a thriving hub of spaces, squares, restaurants, events, and places to live and work.
The Kitchen Solution
We are manufacturing and fitting 370 bespoke kitchens for Octagon in a contract worth £2.3m.
This involves the supply of around 5,500 items of furniture and 1,850 appliances, which our teams will also install.
The kitchen furniture includes base, wall and tall cabinets which are being finished in stylish dark grey with black GOLA handles and contrasting white 20mm quartz worktops with matching upstands, splashbacks and end panels. There is under-cabinet LED strip lighting, and the larger kitchens will also have black metal wall shelving.
Taps are brushed stainless steel for a high-quality finish and appliances are integrated. Each kitchen will have an oven, hob, fridge-freezer, dishwasher and extractor.
Kitchens to Reflect the Octagon-shaped Building Footprint
The unusual octagon shape of the tower has been reflected in the kitchens with angular designs and layouts to complement the building footprint. There are five kitchen configurations in total, including L- and U-shaped.
The scheme occupies a very constrained city centre site which requires detailed logistical planning and project management for the kitchen installation phase.
The Client Perspective
Rob Groves, Regional Development Director at Paradise development manager MEPC:
“Octagon is a game-changer for the city’s skyline…. a unique, world-class building right in the heart of Birmingham. From day one, our ambition with Octagon has been simple – to build one of the finest apartment schemes ever seen in the UK.”
“Everything about it – its height, the size of the apartments themselves and their design, the views and the location in the city centre – will be a first and we can’t wait to see the building making progress on Birmingham’s skyline.”
CGIs – Glenn Howells Architects