ISG Completes John Lewis Birmingham Shop
ISG has given the 140,000 passengers that daily pass through the revamped Birmingham New Street Station the perfect excuse for some retail therapy after completing a fit out of the eagerly anticipated 250,000sq ft John Lewis shop that sits above this key transport hub.
Setting a new quality and innovation benchmark, the new department store is the anchor tenant for the recently opened Grand Central shopping centre, which sits between the Bullring and the Mailbox. Offering shoppers a four floor retail experience, the new shop has a striking stainless steel and glass façade and ISG was tasked with bringing the impact and excitement of the external edifice into the interior fit out.
Overcoming the challenges of working directly above a live mainline railway station, ISG has successfully handed over the fast-track retail fit out scheme. The project included modifications to the existing atrium to form an enclosure around the escalators and stairs, the installation of new customer lifts and a full mechanical and electrical fit out.
The new store concept combines the classic, calming environment synonymous with the John Lewis brand, with a variety of design features, interactive areas and humorous touches, all of which required rigorous attention to detail to ensure the exacting standards demanded by the world-renowned brand. Signature design features at the store include a collection of suspended neon circles in the women’s fashion department, a flock of seagulls flying over the fabrics and haberdashery department and child-friendly orange microphones that transmit to speakers throughout the toy department.
Kevin Dengate, divisional managing director of ISG’s Retail business, commented: “The John Lewis shop in Birmingham is a first for the city and an iconic retail development of national standing. It’s the largest John Lewis to open for four years and continues a long-standing relationship between the retailer and ISG, which has recently seen us deliver over £20 million of projects at stores in Kingston, Bristol, Sheffield, Southampton and Reading.
“The quality of John Lewis’ shop interiors is a major factor in the brand’s enduring appeal and this project demonstrates how the company is continuing to leverage that market advantage in the age of multi-channel retailing.”
Nick Hann; Tel: 07970 275251; Email: nick.hann@isgplc.com
ISG Plc is an international construction services company delivering Fit Out, Construction, Engineering Services and Specialist Solutions, operating in 28 countries worldwide. The company works with owners, developers and occupiers in the public and private sector for an extensive range of industries. ISG Plc was established in 1989 and has been quoted on AIM since 1998. Today the company has a turnover of around £1.6 billion.
For further information about ISG please visit our website www.isgplc.com
