Link Street, Bullring Shopping Centre

The iconic Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham is one of the leading retail centres outside the West End of London and since 2003, has undergone a series of redevelopments which have helped to create a truly contemporary shopping destination.

When owner Hammerson Plc decided that the mall running between New Street Station, the Grand Central shopping area and the Bullring Shopping Centre required a major overhaul they contracted Hatmet. Our ability to deliver multi-faceted projects within complex working environments made us the perfect choice to deliver the £4.0m project, particularly considering the fact that the work had to be carried out in a live shopping environment in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Delivering the work in question called for ongoing management of the areas concerned, working in close liaison with the Centre Management Team to ensure that disruption was kept to the absolute minimum. Despite having only a week from project award to commencement, Hatmet successfully delivered a range of work for 12 retail units and 2800 square metres of wider mall pace within just 16 weeks. This was made possible by our rigorous pre-construction processes and well established supply chain logistics.

The work undertaken on Link Street demonstrates the range of expertise which Hatmet is able to offer. The 12 retail units were fitted with fully glazed shop fronts and had all M&E systems installed, including 160m of fresh air and smoke ducting and a complete toilet and rest area within each unit.

Across the mall areas, Hatmet installed a completely new lighting scheme designed by Studio Fractal, a comprehensive Public Address and Voice Alarm system, new pipework serving more than 900 sprinkler heads, glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) portals and tiled flooring throughout. We were also responsible for creating 5 kiosk units with shop counters and security shutters, allowing the Link Street area to offer a flexible and responsive retail environment moving forward.