MIPIM 2011: Fresh images of John Lewis’s new Birmingham store

NEW images have been released giving a glimpse of what the south side of New Street station will look like when John Lewis opens at the site in 2014.

The new artist’s impressions were unveiled by Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby at MIPIM, the global property conference in France.

Cllr Whitby said: “This development is a real jewel in the new station’s innovative design and will bring real scale and activity to the new southern entrance. Showcasing this at an event such as MIPIM emphasises what a great place Birmingham is to invest in.”

The 250,000 sq ft store contains four floors of retail, each approximately an acre in size, with delicately patterned glass walls. The concept has been designed by Foreign Office architects, the creative team behind the redevelopment of New Street station.

The £100m development project will see the new John Lewis shop constructed on the south side of the redeveloped station, creating 900 new jobs for the wider economy, including 650 jobs at the department store. The project will also include the upgrade of the Pallasades Shopping Centre.

Samantha Rowntree, retail development manager at John Lewis, said: “We have been looking for an opportunity to open in Birmingham for some time and are thrilled to be playing a part in the regeneration of the south side of the city centre. Our stunning, four-storey landmark full-line department store, located adjacent to New Street station, will also provide a boost to local employment with the creation of around 650 new jobs. We are really looking forward to giving shoppers a broader retail offer when they visit Birmingham.”

The pictures were released as Network Rail announced a public consultation on its plans for retail at New Street. A public exhibition in the North Mall area of the Pallasades shopping centre will be open between 10am-7pm, March 15 – 17.

In a further boost to New Street, Network Rail has named the station as one of its best performing hubs in terms of retail sales – despite ongoing redevelopment work.

Figures for the final quarter of 2010 show sales at shops on the station’s concourse grew 12.85% on the previous year, second only to Euston (13.5%).