Expo helps architects win China contracts
Liverpool architectural practice has beaten rivals from around the world to win work on two massive building projects in China.
Brock Carmichael Architects (BCA), based in Old Hall Street, won a competition to plan a marina and thousands of homes on a peninsula reclaimed from the sea in Tianjin.
And, in conjunction with Hong Kong practice Oval Partnerships, they are working on masterplans for a 3.5 million sq m urban regeneration plan in the city of Kunming, southern China – a scheme so large that it would cover the whole of Liverpool city centre.
BCA had never worked overseas until it agreed to sponsor Liverpool’s pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai. Three of BCA’s partners attended the event – and once they saw the potential in China, they decided the time was right to push into the Chinese market.
BCA has formed a partnership with Oval, called the Octagon Alliance, through which the two firms can work together to win Chinese contracts.
Rather than focusing on designing individual buildings, BCA is offering its services in China as a masterplanner, creating outline plans for large mixed-used developments along the lines of Liverpool One.
The Tianjin project saw BCA compete against firms from around the world, including one which worked on The Palm artificial islands in Dubai.
Its successful masterplan for the 52-hectare Tianjin site includes a marina, a yacht club, a hotel, 200 villas and apartment blocks containing 2,800 homes.
Partner Michael Cosser said: “Without the Expo, we probably wouldn’t have looked at China.
“We’re conscious that we’re flying the UK flag and the Liverpool flag. We’re a Liverpool firm competing against companies with 2,000 people.”
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