i9 is set in the heart of the City of Wolverhampton Interchange and emerged as a scheme following the success of the award winning i10 complex on the opposite side of Railway Drive.
It will provide up to 52,000 sq ft of stunning Grade A office space, has potential for 5,600 sq ft of leisure space for restaurants, and is planned for completion in 2020.
i9 is the next step in building a thriving commercial quarter at the heart of Wolverhampton Interchange - bringing further investment and jobs to the city.
City of Wolverhampton Council and leading property developer, Ion, selected Glenn Howells Architects’ design for i9 as the winner from a strong field of ten UK leading architects and urban design practices in a national design competition.
They are the architects behind the Paradise Birmingham scheme - one of the biggest city centre development projects in the UK.
Councillor Peter Bilson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing, said: “The hoardings going up around the site mean we are now very close to works starting on the spectacular i9 building at heart of the city’s Interchange. It is another step towards our aspirations of creating a Commercial District in this area of the city. We want this building to become the design and quality benchmark for future developments in the city and to demonstrate our ambition for the city centre. This important site ideally lends itself to a distinctive, high-quality headquarters building.”
Glenn Howells Architects Senior Architect, Fraser Godfrey, who designed i9, said: “The design has drawn influence from Wolverhampton’s family of red-brick Victorian buildings - providing a complementary, contemporary addition fit for 21st century working life. The site’s prominence as a gateway into the city centre called for a distinctive building of high architectural merit, rooted in local tradition and highly sensitive to neighbouring landmarks such as the Chubb Building and Prince Albert public house. It is set to house restaurants within the ground floor of the building as well as a rooftop amenity space, with panoramic views towards the city centre conservation area and Interchange.”
GRAHAM, have been contracted to deliver the scheme, and will target a BREEAM Excellent rating to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the building and lower any potential impact on the surrounding environment.
Pat Cassily, Senior Project Manager for GRAHAM, said: “Wolverhampton is undergoing a period of regeneration that is set to transform the city and attract further investment and jobs to the area. The i9 development is part of that and I am delighted we have now taken the first step towards delivery of this landmark building with the erection of the site hoardings.”
Chris Jones, Ion Associate Director, added: “We’re delighted to be progressing on this much anticipated Grade A office building for Wolverhampton. i10 has proven a demand in Wolverhampton - and the new state of the art transport links of the Interchange will be another huge draw for businesses to re-locate in the city.”
