Chapman Taylor partners with MACE to regenerate Bracknell Town Centre

Chapman Taylor, as Executive Architects for MACE, are proud to announce the opening of one of the largest town centre regeneration projects in the UK, ‘The Lexicon’ at Bracknell. This redevelopment provides a truly vibrant, mixed-use environment in which shopping and leisure amenities line both open and covered public streets. The scheme provides for 70 retail, food and leisure units and a 1,300-space car park.

With restaurants and bars fronting brand new public streets and squares, and a new 12-screen Cineworld cinema in place, the area has been designed to remain a popular destination late into the evening.

The redevelopment forms part of a £240m scheme by Bracknell Regeneration Partnership to transform the town centre with 60,000 square metres of new retail and leisure provision. Bracknell is the first post-war New Town in the UK to be masterplanned, built, demolished, and then reconfigured. 1,000 residential properties have also been made available, in a mix of new and converted developments.

Providing a contemporary shopping experience, the development brings popular retail brands to the area, including Fenwick, Topshop, Marks & Spencer and Next, serving an affluent catchment area set to number one million by 2024. With Bracknell being home to major employers such as Waitrose, Dell, Hewlett Packard and Vodafone, it presents a very attractive opportunity for new business. ‘The Lexicon’ is already 90% let or agreed, and 3,500 new jobs are anticipated now that it is open.

As well as being the lead delivery architects for the project, Chapman Taylor planned and designed one of the two key components of the scheme, at ‘Charles Square’ – connecting the brand new ‘Northern Quarter’ to the existing Princess Square Centre. Combining newly-built space with refurbished existing buildings, the development is anchored by Primark, supplemented by a several smaller retail units and public spaces. Existing shop façades have been enhanced and environmental improvements have been made. In addition, Chapman Taylor designed and delivered a number of enhancement works to the wider town centre, known as the ‘Greening Works’, including new cladding to Princess Square, existing car parks and pedestrian bridges.

Andy Hudson, Director at Chapman Taylor, says “We are proud to have been the lead delivery architects on ‘The Lexicon’, and to have contributed towards the transformation of the entire town centre in partnership with MACE. To have delivered one of the largest town centre regeneration developments in the country, on time and within budget, gives me great satisfaction.”

The Lexicon Bracknell is developed by the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership, a 50:50 joint venture between Legal & General Capital and Schroder UK Real Estate Fund, together with Bracknell Forest Council.

Notes to editors: Chapman Taylor is an award-winning practice of global architects and masterplanners, known for designing places and buildings that are both creative and successful. Established in 1959, we have longstanding relationships with many of the world’s leading developers, contractors, consultants, investors and brands. Clients benefit from the breadth of our pooled knowledge and creative expertise across design studios in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Specialising in Residential, Retail, Leisure, Hospitality and Office design, we are able to blend these uses into vibrant mixed-use environments for people to enjoy. Our work has won over 200 global design awards.

For more information, please contact:

Sean Hosey marketing@chapmantaylor.com