The opening of Zellig marks Phase two of the Custard Factory redevelopment. ZELLIG has been designed to provide an inspiring, entertaining and commercially fertile environment for 101 independent creative enterprises. The project, which was declared ‘officially open’ on 6 October 2010, is conceived as the next phase of Custard Factory, the revolutionary arts and media quarter, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2010.
The centrepiece of the courtyard at Zellig is a unique five-storey-high sculpture designed by UK-based creative design company Philip Watts Design. The sculpture named ‘Chaos’ is the single biggest commission ever undertaken by Philip Watts Design. The courtyard is dominated by the sculpture, which at the outset offers an appearance of a chaotic mass; however it is actually a functional art installation. The sculpture is designed to connect the courtyard at three levels.
Studios and offices at Zellig are complemented by art galleries, exhibition spaces, workshops, cafes and the Nomad Club – a communal space for residents to get together, created within a miniature indoor jungle.
Cantered around three top-illuminated courtyards, garlanded with spectacular flying glass bridges, works of art and sculptures, ZELLIG strikes a balance between cutting edge design, aesthetic beauty and a congenial working environment. The new building is designed to provide a sense of community for Birmingham’s young creative businesses.
The former Bird’s Custard building, one of Birmingham’s beautiful Victorian-listed buildings was redeveloped 20 years ago, making it an award-winning arts and media quarter.
Widely regarded as kick-starting the creative renaissance of Birmingham, the original Custard Factory redevelopment, a five-acre sprawl of riverside factories built a century ago by Sir Alfred Bird, the inventor of custard, sought to reignite the entrepreneurial sprit of the city spurred by the slogan ‘if you can’t get a job, get a customer’.
