Building Princesshay

The utmost care and attention has been placed on a design that respects the city’s rich architectural history and beautiful Cathedral, supporting Exeter as a heritage destination. The whole development includes 60 shops and restaurants, landscaped open spaces, new car parks and increased pedestrian routes link Princesshay with the High Street and the rest of Exeter. This benefits not only local people but visitors too, making Exeter the natural choice for the region’s shoppers.

Using innovative design and the highest quality natural materials, the architecture, finish and landscaping reflects the beauty of Exeter’s heritage, opening up magnificent new views of the Cathedral. The new style shopping quarter also features distinctive new building designs, traffic-free squares and public spaces, attractive landscaping and eye catching public art.

The scheme has also created improved settings for the medieval Almshouses and the City Wall as well as a new Exeter Visitor Information & Tickets Centre.

Land Securities appointed three architectural practices - Chapman Taylor, Panter Hudspith and Wilkinson Eyre - to develop the design concept and introduce a greater mix of styles, diversity and vitality to the Princesshay Scheme.

Chapman Taylor was appointed as the design architect for the central part of the scheme and coordinating architect for the overall master plan. Chapman Taylor is a highly respected international practice with an ability to deliver design solutions to meet environmental and commercial needs.

The brief given to the architects was to create a unique retail and residential city-centre development in the heart of Exeter's conservation area that would reinforce the city’s role as regional capital for the South West of England, whilst complementing its historical context.

The result has been buildings with superb architectural quality and variety that sit in context with the local vernacular to create a viable and architecturally dynamic city centre. The improvement and opening-up of vistas to the city's cathedral and the sympathetic architectural relationship with the three scheduled monuments located within the site, creates an exciting townscape in the context of the regeneration programme.

A team of Landscape architects was also appointed. Livingston Eyre Associates is a leading firm of landscape architects that are committed to improving the public realm and helping to create spaces with a real sense of coherence, identity and quality, combining enthusiasm with innovative design and environmental enhancement.

Sir Robert McAlpine, one of the UK’s leading building and civil engineering contractors, has carried out the construction for the Princesshay development. The massive development has involved: the demolition of 43,000 tonnes of material of which 80% was recycled, the use of 14,000 cubic metres of concrete and the installation of 5,750 tonnes of structural steelwork.

The established team proved invaluable when dealing with the complexities of carrying out construction work in a busy city centre.

The principal challenges facing Sir Robert McAlpine included:

1. Carrying out the construction work in a busy city centre location which involved the use of more expensive silent piling techniques.

2. 80% of materials from the demolition were recycled and this presented the challenge of storing material on site until it was required for reuse in the new development.

3. Providing public access across parts of the site, namely Bedford Street, with all attendant safety considerations.

Throughout the development, Sir Robert McAlpine produced a quarterly newsletter on the project, which was distributed to all businesses in the immediate area. This newsletter regularly updated the potentially affected businesses on construction developments as well as responding to any concerns.

Sir Robert McAlpine completed The Bedford Street section of the development by Easter 2007 with the whole of Princesshay opening in September 2007.

Key Construction statistics:

Demolition Period: 8 months
Demolition: 43,000 tonnes
Percentage of materials recycled: 80%
Earth removed in excavation: 50,000 cubic metres
Concrete poured: 14,000 cubic metres
Steelwork erected: 5,750 tonnes
Tower Cranes: 5 (1 remote controlled)
Peak Labour force during construction: 250
Peak Labour force during fit-outs: 500
Work packages: 100     
Retail area: 39,000 Sq Metres