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Chapman Taylor: 2025 Business Review

As part of our ongoing strategy to successfully transition Chapman Taylor’s business leadership to the next generation and ensure sustainable growth in the years ahead, London Director Marcelina Zielinska, and Manchester Director, Michael Swiszczowski, were appointed to Chapman Taylor’s Group Board in June 2025, joining existing members Adrian Griffiths, Michael Cottam, Mikel Barriola, Jon Hale, and Ruprecht Melder.

Our key growth markets in Azerbaijan and the Middle East continue to show strong potential, and we anticipate further expansion in the coming financial year. The masterplanning, mixed-use, retail, residential and transportation sectors remain our core strengths, with numerous major projects being designed and constructed across the globe.

Europe

Over the past year, Chapman Taylor has delivered and progressed a wide range of projects across Europe.

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W Hotel Prague, Czech Republic | Marina Motril on the Costa Tropical, Spain

In Spain, we were appointed to design the landmark Marina Motril on the Costa Tropical and have completed the refurbishment of Plaza Norte 2 in Madrid. We have also been commissioned to refurbish La Gavia Shopping Centre and to design the extension of Plenilunio Shopping Centre, both in Madrid. In Portugal, Alegro Alfragide reopened in March 2025 following a striking interior transformation. Major retail projects include the redesigned food court at Europa Shopping Centre in Slovakia, the modernisation of Plejada Shopping Centre in Sosnowiec, Poland, and the transformation concept for Outlet City Weil am Rhein in Germany.

Residential progress includes the start of construction at the Habitat neighbourhood in Prague and Hornschuchpromenade complex in Fürth has completed. We have also unveiled the vision for the Orikum Residential Community in Albania and continue work on Ferra & CO Retail and Entertainment Park in Durres.

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Habitat neighbourhood in Prague | Ferra & CO Retail and Entertainment Park in Durres, Albania

In the cultural and leisure sector, the W Hotel Prague's official opening party took place in March 2025. Other highlights include the first Pathé Cinemas multiplex in Flanders, Belgium.

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Alegro Alfragide, Lisbon, Portugal | ISOLA Pankrác District, Prague, Czech Republic

Workplace and mixed-use schemes are advancing, including Centre d’Affaire Nordstrooss in Luxembourg, SEGRO Park Düsseldorf Flingern in Germany, and a new carbon-neutral adaptive reuse office ISOLA in Prague’s Pankrác District. Notable openings include Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier cinema in April 2025, while construction begins on Pernerka Gallery in Pardubice.

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Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier cinema, Germany

We have just been appointed to masterplan Grand Harbour in Malta, which will be presented to the public by the Prime Minister in early 2026.

United Kingdom

Chapman Taylor continues to advance a diverse range of projects across the UK, spanning the masterplanning, mixed-use, retail, residential, workplace, and transportation sectors.

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Trafford Wharf, Manchester | Salford’s Soapworks, Manchester

In residential, we were awarded planning permission for Cole Waterhouse’s Trafford Wharf in Manchester. Planning approval has also been secured for Salford’s Soapworks mixed-use regeneration. A successful public consultation was held for The Trilogy Build-to-Rent scheme in Ellesmere Street, Manchester. The Avon Street purpose-built student accommodation scheme in Bristol is progressing well on site, and construction at Hayes Village in London has been completed. In London, our 30-storey tower scheme in Greenwich has started on site, and we have been commissioned to do the whole building’s interior design.

In the retail sector, refurbishment of the historic former Queensgate Market in Huddersfield began in August 2024, with this work still ongoing.

St George’s House West in Wimbledon

In workplace design, we were given planning approval for St George’s House West in Wimbledon, we transformed Three Arlington Square in Bracknell into a dynamic, amenity-rich environment, and completed the renovation of 5 Callaghan Square, Cardiff, into a vibrant, contemporary Cat A+ workplace. We have also commenced the repositioning/reuse of an important London office building in Finsbury Square.

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5 Callaghan Square, Cardiff | 3 Arlington Square, Bracknell

Leisure highlights include the unveiling of the refreshed Napoleons Manchester restaurant and a first look at Napoleons Casino & Restaurant in Leeds. We continue to collaborate with Napoleons on the thoughtful design of multiple venues. Chapman Taylor also completed an adaptive reuse concept for the Pepper Street multistorey car park in the historic heart of Chester, transforming the outdated / underused structure into a vibrant social and innovative leisure destination.

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Napoleons Casino & Restaurant, Leeds, UK

Asia

Chapman Taylor achieved significant milestones and secured major new opportunities across China and Southeast Asia in 2025.

Lily Bridge in Jinwan

In Shanghai, the striking Cloud Bridge in Jinwan District and Lily Bridge in Jiangnan both completed in 2025, while the Zhangjiang Gaoke Office Park, which won a 2020 design competition, was completed in January 2025, and will be a centre of AI and technology industries. We also won the design competition for the Yuanrong Bridge in December 2024 and began construction on a Healthcare Research Campus in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone. The Future Hotel (Hilton Grace Collection) reached completion and is due to open imminently.

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Zhangjiang Gaoke Office Park, Shanghai, China | The Future Hotel (Hilton Grace Collection), Chongqing, China

In Hangzhou, Phase Two of the ZEEKR Headquarters was completed in February 2025, and we were shortlisted for the landmark Qiantang Bay Future Headquarters in April 2025. We continue to lead the design for the twin towers of Shandong Energy Jinan International Trade Office Park, and won the competition for the riverfront Jinan Honglou Square Phase I regeneration. We are continuing to strengthen our involvement in large city masterplanning schemes, including the 1,400-hectare Wusong Two Riverbank regeneration in north Shanghai.

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ZEEKR Headquarters, Hangzhou, China | Central Command Centre at One Bangkok, Thailand

Beyond China, we designed the Central Command Centre at One Bangkok, unveiled in October 2024, and signed an MoU with Easson Energy in Thailand in August 2024. We are also continuing our interior design regeneration work at one of the world’s best hotels, the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok. We have also completed projects in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Middle East

Chapman Taylor’s footprint in the Middle East continues to grow, with landmark developments advancing across the region.

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Saadiyat Beach District Residences in Abu Dhabi | Enar in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, we are delivering high-profile mixed-use projects such as Madinah Hub and Porta Jeddah, both in the construction phase, and also designing the 750,000m2 GBA Enar project in Riyadh. We are also designing Tura, an ambitious new mixed-use district in North Riyadh, which was launched at CityScape Global 2025 in November. In the leisure sector, we celebrated the September 2025 opening of Muvi Hayat Mall cinema in Riyadh and the December 2024 opening of Muvi The Village Cinema in Jeddah. We are now active in over 15 cities in KSA and involved in several prestigious giga projects.

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Tura, North Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In the UAE, construction is progressing at the Saadiyat Beach District Residences in Abu Dhabi and we are also currently undertaking important projects in Dubai and Ras Al-Khaimah. In Egypt, preparatory work is underway for P/X in Giza and for Palmet’s flagship sustainable business park in New Cairo.

Our presence in Egypt was strengthened by a strategic partnership with Hometown Developments announced in September 2024.

Caucasus

Azerbaijan remains a key growth market, with several city masterplans underway. In March 2025, our Shusha High Street regeneration won the Temel Architecture Award. Work continues on a number of large masterplans together with many new projects in Baku.

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Le Meridien Sioni Lake Resort & Spa, Georgia

In Georgia, we are aligning ourselves with Government departments, Universities and some big investors, we also speak regularly at conferences in Tbilisi. Our project, Le Meridien Sioni Lake Resort & Spa, is still under construction, and our Grand Avenue urban regeneration project in Tbilisi officially launched in October 2025, adding to our growing hospitality portfolio.

Almaty Museum of Arts, Kazakhstan

Central Asia

In Kazakhstan, the prestigious Almaty Museum of Arts opened in September 2025. A landmark for culture and community, the museum incorporates permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, dedicated rooms for featured artists, art education workshops, and a flexible performance and theatre space.

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Mirabad Square, Tashkent

In Uzbekistan, a number of projects are currently being designed in Tashkent and construction has officially begun on Mirabad Square, a 13.73 ha landmark mixed-use development in the heart of Tashkent.

LATAM

We are currently renovating Galerías Perisur in Mexico City, the most visited shopping mall in the country, which is now under construction, and have also been commissioned to refurbish Galerías Laguna in Torreón, Mexico.

Responsible Design

We continue to lead on sustainable design, addressing the circular economy, housing affordability, and decarbonisation through retrofit strategies. We work closely with consultants to achieve leading certifications including BREEAM, LEED, NABERS, and WELL.

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We also conduct annual carbon footprint assessments of our studios and have established KPIs to set achievable targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

Chapman Taylor has just released four newly developed policy documents, reinforcing our long-standing commitment to Responsible Design, and Sustainable business practices across all our design studios. The new policies for Environmental, Social Value, Governance, and an overarching ESG Policy, serve as a robust framework for embedding sustainable, inclusive, and transparent practices into every facet of Chapman Taylor’s operations and project delivery.

Awards

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Healthcare Research Campus in Shanghai's Waigaoqiao Free Trade Area, China | Pepper Street Car Park, Chester, UK

In 2025, Chapman Taylor received eleven prestigious industry awards, including:

Looking Ahead to 2026

We have numerous projects under design and construction in all key market sectors across Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, China, Cambodia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Georgia, Germany, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

We look forward to working collaboratively with our partners in the year ahead to create well-designed, sustainable places and environments.

Adrian Griffiths (BA (Hons) Dip Arch RIBA MA Urban Design FRSA)

Group Board Director, UK

Adrian joined Chapman Taylor in 1986 and was promoted to the Group Board in 1998. As an architect and urban design specialist, he is recognised internationally for his expertise in the masterplanning of major complex mixed-use developments which are key drivers in the regeneration of our town and city centres.

Adrian is conscious of the fact that the developments we build today create the societies of tomorrow, recognising the responsibility the profession has in influencing the quality of people’s lives. He regularly speaks at conferences and prepares papers which promote the benefits of mixed-use developments as a sustainable model for the long term. Adrian leads the Concept Design Team in the UK.

Areas of expertise:

Urban design / Masterplanning / Mixed use / Retail / Leisure

Adrian entra a far parte di Chapman Taylor nel 1986 e si unisce al Main Board nel 1998. Come architetto e specialista in progettazione urbanistica, è conosciuto a livello internazionale per la sua esperienza nei masterplan di grandi complessi multi-funzionali, che sono i principali autori nella rigenerazione dei nostri centri urbani.

Adrian è consapevole del fatto che le zone di sviluppo urbano che oggi costruiamo creano le società di domani, riconoscendo la responsabilità che la professione ha nell'influenzare la qualità della vita delle persone. Adrian partecipa abitualmente a conferenze e scrive articoli che promuovono i benefici degli spazi multifunzionali come modello sostenibile a lungo termine. Adrian guida il Concept Design Team nel Regno Unito.

Aree di competenza:

Urban design / Masterplanning / Mixed use / Retail / Leisure

Adrian kam 1986 zu Chapman Taylor und wurde 1998 ins Main Board befördert. Als Architekt und Urban Design-Spezialist ist er international anerkannt für seine Expertise in der Masterplanung von komplexen Mischbebauungsvorhaben, die Schlüsselfaktoren bei der Regeneration unserer Stadt- und Ortszentren sind.

Adrian ist sich der Tatsache bewusst, dass die Bauvorhaben, die wir heute umsetzen, die Gesellschaft von morgen bilden und ist sich der Verantwortung unseres Berufs als Einfluss auf die Lebensqualität der Menschen bewusst. Er spricht auf Konferenzen und schreibt Abhandlungen über die Vorteile von Mischbebauungsvorhaben als langfristig nachhaltiges Modell. Adrian leitet das Konzept-Design-Team in Großbritannien.

Schwerpunkte:

Städtebau / Masterplanung / Mixed-Use / Einzelhandel / Freizeitbauten

Michael Cottam (BA, ACA)

Group Board Director, UK

Michael has been with Chapman Taylor since 2002 and is the Group Finance Director. A member of the Group Board, he also sits on the boards of the UK, Dϋsseldorf and Milan businesses.

Michael has over 30 years’ experience as a Chartered Accountant and has been involved in finance and business administration in a variety of companies in a number of sectors.

Areas of expertise:

Finance / Business Administration

Michael entra a far parte di Chapman Taylor dal 2002 e ricopre la carica di direttore finanziario del Gruppo. È un membro del Main Board e uno dei quattro soci; fa inoltre parte del consiglio amministrativo degli studi del Regno Unito, di Dϋsseldorf e di Milano.

Michael ha oltre 30 anni di esperienza come Dottore Commercialista ed è stato coinvolto nella finanza e amministrazione aziendale di numerose aziende in diversi settori.

Aree di competenza:

Finance / Business Administration

Michael ist seit 2002 bei Chapman Taylor und ist Group Finance Director. Als Mitglied des Main Boards und Eigentümer des Unternehmens ist er auch Vorstandsmitglied in den Unternehmen in Großbritannien, Dϋsseldorf und Mailand.

Michael hat über 30 Jahre Erfahrung als Wirtschaftsprüfer und engagiert sich in der Finanz- und Betriebsverwaltung bei einer Vielzahl von Unternehmen in einer Reihe von Sektoren.

Schwerpunkte:

Finanzen / Geschäftsverwaltung

Mikel Barriola (B Arch Dip Arch ARB BEDA (Hons) COAM)

Group Board Director, Madrid

With a well-established track record, Mikel has experience on major projects across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America, with design expertise in retail, leisure, residential, hospitality and mixed-use developments.

Mikel joined Chapman Taylor in 1997 and became a Director of the Madrid studio in 2003. He joined the Group Board in 2020 and continues to take responsibility for the Madrid studio as Managing Director, including the direction and management of design, technical, financial and office administration.

Areas of expertise:

Masterplanning / Mixed-use / Urban Regeneration / Retail / Leisure

Mikel se incorporó a Chapman Taylor en 1997 y se convirtió en Director del Estudio de Madrid en 2003. Hoy en día es el Director General y tiene la responsabilidad de la dirección general del Estudio (diseño, parte técnica y financiera y administración de la oficina).

La experiencia que posee Mikel se extiende por toda Europa, Medio Oriente, África y Sudamérica siendo especialista en el diseño de centros comerciales, de ocio, viviendas, hoteles y proyectos de uso mixto.

Áreas de especialización:

Planes Directores / Uso Mixto / Regeneración urbana / Centros Comerciales / Ocio

Jon Hale (BA (Hons) Dip Arch ARB ČKA)

Group Board Director, Prague

Jon heads up Chapman Taylor's business in the Central Eastern Europe (CEE) region, leading on the design and implementation of projects in the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia.

Based in Prague since 1991, Jon joined Chapman Taylor in London in 1997 and was invited to the Group Board in 2020. His knowledge of the CEE markets and his leadership have helped our Prague studio become one of the foremost architects of commercial buildings in the region. The Prague team is dedicated to delivering high-quality architecture to clients in the CEE region with a strong emphasis on delivering sustainable and commercially successful projects that people enjoy.

Areas of expertise:

Mixed-use / Workplace / Residential / Retail

Ruprecht Melder (Dipl Ing Architekt (Univ))

Group Board Director, Düsseldorf

Ruprecht is responsible for leading the design and delivery of major workplace, retail, and mixed-use projects in our Düsseldorf studio.

He has established the role of 'General Planner' within the Düsseldorf studio and has successfully led General Planner teams on several large-scale projects and is dedicated to delivering high-quality architecture to our clients.

Ruprecht joined Chapman Taylor in 1995. After joining the Düsseldorf management board as a Prokurist in 2008, he became joint Managing Director in 2013 to support the growth of our German business and continues to oversee project work in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia. He joined the Group Board in 2021.

Areas of expertise:

General Planner / Retail / Mixed-use / Workplace

Ruprecht ist seit 1995 bei Chapman Taylor und ist verantwortlich für die Konzeption und Durchführung von Einzelhandels-, Büro- und Mixed-Use-Projekten in unserem Büro in Düsseldorf.

Im Jahr 2008 wurde Ruprecht Melder als Prokurist Teil der Geschäftsführung und ist seit 2013 als Geschäftsführer für die Leitung und die Entwicklung des Düsseldorfer Standortes zuständig. 2021 wurde er in den Vorstand von Chapman Taylor berufen.

Ein weiterer Tätigkeitsschwerpunkt ist die des Generalplaners. Diesen Aufgabenbereich hat Ruprecht im deutschen Büro etabliert und hat sich als Leiter von Generalplanungs-Teams bei Großprojekten erfolgreich bewährt.

Schwerpunkte:

Generalplanung / Einzelhandel / Mixed-Use / Bürobau

Marcelina Zielinska (MSC Arch and Urb Des, RIBA, FRSA)

Group Board Director, UK

Marcelina has extensive experience of all design stages on a diverse range of projects of various scales, from individual buildings to large urban masterplans.

She has a particular passion for high street regeneration, with a talent for anticipating future trends in retail and leisure and the impact they will have on town centres. Her current projects include heritage-sensitive masterplans for historic city centres.

As an architect and urban designer, Marcelina understands the importance of placemaking and of combining uses to create socially, commercially and environmentally sustainable communities, both in the UK and internationally.

Marcelina has been with Chapman Taylor since March 2007, when she joined the company to help deliver St. David’s 2 in Cardiff. She was promoted to the Group Board in 2025.

Areas of expertise:

Masterplanning / Mixed-use / Retail / Leisure / Asset Enhancement / Placemaking

Michael Swiszczowski (BA(Hons), MArch, ADPPA, ARB, RIBA)

Group Board Director, UK

Michael joined Chapman Taylor in 2016 to build the practice’s expertise in the residential sector. Appointed to the Group Board in 2025, he continues to play a leading role in shaping and expanding the practice’s residential and hospitality portfolios across the UK.

He has designed and delivered a wide range of award-winning projects, with a particular focus on Build-to-Rent, student accommodation, hotels, serviced apartments, and modular construction.

Michael is a regular speaker at residential and property conferences where he articulates Chapman Taylor’s design approach and skill sets, offering thought leadership on future living trends and sector evolution. He also serves as a Commissioner on the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission, a cross-party think tank that advises the UK Government on housing policy and contributes practical, evidence-based recommendations to address systemic challenges in housing delivery.

He was nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association for Rental Living (ARL) in recognition of his significant contributions to the Build-to-Rent sector. He also serves as a Special Design Advisor on the ARL Design Committee and is a RIBA-elected member of the Regional Council for RIBA North West.

Areas of expertise:

Residential / Build-to-Rent / Student Accommodation / Hotels

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