Co:LAB Pocket Park
To the North of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter is the junction of Hockley Street, Spencer Street, and Northampton Street. Upon reaching the junction the space opens out suddenly, creating a natural stopping point before reaching the jewellers on Spencer Street.
The junction holds great potential as a new public space at the north of the Jewellery Quarter. It could act as a magnet, pulling people from the city centre and through the Jewellery Quarter itself. It is very close to the Jewellery Quarter station and tram line, in addition to being a short walk from the city centre.
The opportunity exists for a small scale intervention that would act as a seed of change at the South side of the site. The aim of the project is to spark a wider improvement in the quality of the public open space within the Jewellery Quarter.
Pocket Park is a collaborative project between Node Urban Design Ltd and Birmingham School of Architecture and Design. A multidisciplinary team of Landscape and Architecture students will work alongside Node to design a scheme to enliven the space with shelter, greenery and unique architectural features drawing from the rich context and history of the site.
A detailed design proposal shall be taken into fabrication, subject to the appropriate funding, as part of the elective. To increase publicity around the project, it is to be submitted as part of the BBC’s Gardener’s World show before it is transported to the Jewellery Quarter on a longer-term basis.
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