Carmody Groarke to design centrepiece Smithfield Rag Market

Lendlease has appointed architects to design an office and commercial building at one of Birmingham’s flagship regeneration sites.

Carmody Groarke will work up plans for the 185,000 sq ft replacement Rag Market, which will sit alongside the open market at the heart of the £2bn Smithfield development, spanning a 42-acre plot in the heart of Birmingham city centre.

The firm will now work with Lendlease and Birmingham City Council to progress designs for the building ahead of a planned application in early 2027.

“This building is one of the most prominent sites within Smithfield and will create an important new gateway into the development,” said Alex Housden, development director at Smithfield Birmingham.

“Carmody Groarke demonstrated a strong understanding of the site, its relationship with the city and the importance of placing Birmingham’s historic markets at the heart of their approach. The appointment marks another important step forward for Smithfield, and we look forward to working together to develop a distinctive building that reflects the ambition of the wider project and delivers an exceptional new workplace and market destination for Birmingham.”

Groundwork at Lendlease’s Smithfield regeneration started earlier this year, with 3,000 homes and two public squares planned for the wider project, approved by Birmingham City Council last year.

Smithfield occupies a strategically important position between Birmingham’s existing retail core, Digbeth and the wider east side of the city centre, and is within walking distance of both Birmingham New Street and the future HS2 high-speed rail hub at Curzon Street.

“We are very excited to be working in Birmingham for the first time and to have the opportunity to contribute to the transformation of Smithfield, reconnecting Birmingham’s historic markets with the wider city,” said Kevin Carmody, founding director at Carmody Groake.

“The project forms part of the wider Smithfield masterplan, bringing together the existing Rag Market and Fruit & Veg Market with new workplace buildings and we are looking forward to working closely with local communities, businesses, and institutions to create a vibrant, sustainable and culturally important place for Birmingham.”