![Birmingham Selfridges building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Birmingham_Selfridges_building.jpg)
The Big City Plan is a major development plan for the
city centre
A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...
of
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Stage 2 of the Big City Plan, the City Centre Masterplan was launched on 29 September 2010. This masterplan sets out how the city centre of Birmingham will be improved over the next 20 years. The plan identifies five key areas of development potentially worth £10 billion.
The aim of this ambitious plan will be to increase the size of the city core by 25%, improving transport connectivity throughout the seven ‘quarters’ that make up the city centre. It identifies how the city centre population will grow providing more than 5000 new homes and 50,000 new jobs, as well as the £600 million redevelopment of
New Street station, opened in September 2015, a new
Library of Birmingham
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
which opened in September 2013 and
Eastside City Park
Eastside City Park is a 6.75 acre (2.73 ha) urban park located in the Eastside district of Birmingham City Centre. Designed by architects Patel taylor with landscape architect Allain Provost, the park was opened to the public on 5 December 2012 ...
which was opened in 2012, the first new city centre park since Victorian times. It also sets out visionary proposals in which each of the seven 'quarters' will be able to evolve.
Origins
![BirminghamCentralLibrary](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/BirminghamCentralLibrary.jpg)
The city was subject to a widespread regeneration effort following the
Birmingham Blitz
The Birmingham Blitz was the heavy bombing by the Nazi German ''Luftwaffe'' of the city of Birmingham and surrounding towns in central England, beginning on 9 August 1940 as a fraction of the greater Blitz , which was part of the Battle of Brit ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. This public demand for modern buildings, combined with Victorian architectural styles falling out of favour, resulted in dozens of fine Victorian buildings like the intricate glass-roofed
Birmingham New Street station
Birmingham New Street is the largest and busiest of the three main railway stations in Birmingham city centre, England, and a central hub of the British railway system. It is a major destination for Avanti West Coast services from , and vi ...
,
and the old Central Library being destroyed in the 1950s and 1960s by the city planners. These planning decisions were to have a profound effect on the image of Birmingham in subsequent decades, with the mix of concrete
ring road
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...
s,
shopping centres
A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof.
The first known collec ...
and
tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently ...
s giving Birmingham a 'concrete jungle' tag. Sir
Herbert Manzoni
Sir Herbert John Baptista Manzoni CBE MICE (21 March 1899 – 18 November 1972) was a British civil engineer known for holding the position of City Engineer and Surveyor of Birmingham from 1935 until 1963. This position put him in charge of all ...
was made city engineer of Birmingham and his work included the construction of the
Inner Ring Road,
Middle Ring Road and the
Outer Ring Road, which necessitated the purchase and clearance of vast areas of land. As well as this, he designated large areas of land redevelopment areas and set about clearing large areas of slums.
The elevated roadways and the ring roads gave Birmingham the tag; "Britain's motor city".
Tackling congestion in Birmingham
' - BBC News, 13 February 2003 One commentator described Manzoni's vision of Birmingham as a "''Godless, concrete urban hell''",
another a "''brutalist, concrete-dominated slave to the motor car''"".
In the mid-1980s,
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom (e ...
decided that they needed to change the image Birmingham had to the public, and improve the
livability
Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
of the city.
The first main aim was to target the areas in the city centre that had not been developed following World War II, such as the canals. The council worked closely with Argent, a developer, who redeveloped the area around the canals into a mixed use scheme
Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use canalside development, in the Westside district of Birmingham, England. It was named after Brindley Place, the name of the street (in turn named after the 18th century canal engineer James Brindley) around whi ...
, which began in 1994 and was completed in early 2009. This development followed the construction of the
National Indoor Arena
Arena Birmingham (known for sponsorship reasons as Utilita Arena Birmingham, and previously as The Barclaycard Arena and originally as the National Indoor Arena) is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, United Kingdom. It ...
and the
International Convention Centre, which were both completed in 1991.
Another major part of the plan was to redevelop the skyline of the city. The skyline mainly consisted of postwar office buildings and through the creation of the "High Places" document, the council aimed to encourage highrise development in the city once more.
In 2007, a report was commissioned by the Leader of the Council, Councillor
Mike Whitby
Michael John Whitby, Baron Whitby (born 6 February 1948) is an English Conservative Party politician and former leader of Birmingham City Council, a post he held from June 2004 to May 2012. Until 2014 he was one of three councillors representi ...
. The result was ''The Birmingham City Centre Masterplan: The Visioning Study'' by
Professor Michael Parkinson
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...
. The Big City Plan was launched in February 2008. Between December 2008 and February 2009 there was an extensive public consultation stage, engaging with citizens in a variety of ways: a website, newspaper supplements, leaflets, posters, a conference, and even an exhibition on a bus that toured inner-city residential districts.
Districts
Following the removal of the
Inner Ring Road, which acted as a 'concrete collar' preventing expansion, the city centre is newly defined as being the area within the
Middle Ring Road.
The Big City Plan divided the now much bigger city centre into seven districts, each with its own distinct character.
*
City Centre Core
Birmingham City Centre, also known as Central Birmingham and often known locally as town, is the central business district of Birmingham, England. Following the removal of the Inner Ring Road, the city centre is now defined as being the area w ...
*
Eastside
*
Digbeth
Digbeth is an area of Central Birmingham, England. Following the destruction of the Inner Ring Road, Digbeth is now considered a district within Birmingham City Centre. As part of the Big City Plan, Digbeth is undergoing a large redevelopment ...
*
Southside and Highgate
*
Westside and Ladywood
*
Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is an area of central Birmingham, UK, in the north-western area of Birmingham City Centre, with a population of around 19,000 people in a area.
The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses invol ...
*
Gun Quarter
The Gun Quarter is a district of the city of Birmingham, England, which was for many years a centre of the world's gun-manufacturing industry, specialising in the production of military firearms and sporting guns. It is an industrial area to the ...
City Centre Core
Bull Ring
![Old Bullring](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Old_Bullring.jpg)
A large part of the scheme was the redevelopment of the Bull Ring, which has been an important feature of Birmingham since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, when its market was first held. It has been developed into a
shopping centre
A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof.
The first known collec ...
twice, first in 1964, but its Brutalist architecture became much disliked by the public and the building was seen as a major part of Birmingham's "concrete jungle" image.
New adventures in concrete
' - BBC Magazine, 5 September 2003 Realising the need for major changes to the city centre, an alliance of investment and development companies was formed called the
Birmingham Alliance
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
who put the finance together to design and construct the new £500 million Bull Ring shopping centre, which was completed in 2003.
It is amongst the busiest shopping centres in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
with 36.5 million visitors in 2004. It houses one of only four
Selfridges
Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited, part of the Selfridges Group of department stores. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge ...
department stores and contained the largest
Debenhams
Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...
outside
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.The area is said to bring in around £1 billion per year, and has a footfall of around 36.9 million a year.
The Rotunda
The Rotunda was refurbished by
Urban Splash
Urban Splash was founded in 1993 by Chairman Tom Bloxham MBE and Creative Director Jonathan Falkingham MBE; the company has spent more than two decades working with architects and designers to restore old buildings and create new, sustainable c ...
into residential apartments from an office building. The building was stripped to the core and floorplates before new full-height windows and cladding were added, plus two LED boards to the top of the building.
New Street Station
Designs were shown to the public in mid-February 2006 for a new Birmingham New Street station in a project known as
Gateway Plus
The Gateway Plus (previously known as Birmingham Gatewayand now known as Grand Central) project was a redevelopment scheme that regenerated Birmingham New Street railway station and the Pallasades Shopping Centre above it in Birmingham, Englan ...
. The plans featured a foyer of open space with a multi-storey entrance. The roof was composed completely of glass to allow natural light to enter the entrance hall. The façade will have rounded edges and the
Pallasades Shopping Centre above the station will remain.
A planning application for outline planning permission was submitted to the council in August 2006 which shows a glass façade with rounded edges. The entrance on Station Street originally included two curved 130 metre tall towers on the site of Stephenson Tower. Due to the economic slowdown, the office space is not needed, and the "twin towers" plan has been shelved until the market picks up.
Work began on the new station in September 2009. The building work will be done in phases in an attempt to minimise disruption to passengers and shoppers. The building work was completed in September 2015.
Snowhill
![Snowhill Phase 2 in August 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Snowhill_Phase_2_in_August_2008.JPG)
The Snowhill scheme adjacent to
Snow Hill station is a large
mixed-use development
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
. Developed by Ballymore, it will feature two office blocks, a hotel tower and a 137-metre residential tower.
One Snowhill was the first building in the development. The accountancy firm
KPMG
KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations.
Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...
has of office space in the building on a 20-year lease
on floors 7 to 11. Following this,
Barclays
Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services.
Barclays traces ...
agreed to move its Midlands headquarters to One Snowhill. They are to take up of space on floors three to six on a 15-year lease with its own dedicated reception and meeting suite. 1,000 sales and operations staff will move into the office building. The pre-let to Barclays is believed to be the reason why they were comfortable to refinance the loan for the construction of the building.
Snowhill One was completed in 2009.
Construction of Two Snowhill was suspended in 2009, with the basement level and slip form cores having been completed. The project restarted in 2011 with the shell and core works being completed in early 2013. Office floors 1 to 6 have been completed to 'Cat A' standard and are now available for lease. Floors 7 to 14 are currently being fitted out for legal firm,
Wragge & Co who have signed up for of space, a new record for the Birmingham office market.
Birmingham was supposed to get its first five-star hotel after Ballymore confirmed that in 2008,
Starwood
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. was one of the largest companies that owned, operated, franchised and managed hotels, resorts, spas, residences, and vacation ownership properties. It was acquired by Marriott International in 2016.
...
entered into an agreement to open a new 198 bedroom
Westin Hotel & Spa.
However, building has stopped due to the financial backer pulling out.
As part of the development, St Chads Circus was levelled with the underpasses filled in.
[St Chad's Intersection / Snow Hill Queensway roadworks](_blank)
A new square created adjacent to
Saint Chad's Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of Saint Chad is a Catholic cathedral in Birmingham, England. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and is dedicated to Saint Chad of Mercia.
Designed by Augustus Welby Pugin an ...
, with the aim of attracting more pedestrians to the area.
West Midland Metro
The coalition government has given funding approval for the extension of the West Midlands Metro from
Birmingham Snow Hill station, passing through the shopping district to Birmingham New Street station. The £127 million state-of-the-art, electrically powered light rail system will also provide quick and easy access to Birmingham's business district and the Jewellery Quarter. Track laying was due to start in 2013 with a completion date of 2015 however following a number of delays the extension was finally opened on 30 May 2016. The extension is forecast to boost the regional economy by £50 million a year and create up to 1,300 sustainable new jobs.
This extension has now been carried out and there are other extensions planned for the future by TfWM.
Westside and Ladywood
The Library of Birmingham
The
Library of Birmingham
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
is a new library at Centenary Square beside the
Birmingham Rep
Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre c ...
and
Baskerville House
Baskerville House, previously called the Civic Centre, is a former civic building in Centenary Square, Birmingham, England. After serving as offices for the Birmingham City Council, it was extended with additional floors in 2007.
History
The ...
, replacing
Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library was the main public library in Birmingham, England, from 1974 until 2013, replacing a library opened in 1865 and rebuilt in 1882. For a time the largest non-national library in Europe, it closed on 29 June 2013 and was ...
in 2013. It is part of a pedestrian axis extending from
Centenary Square
Centenary Square is a public square on the north side of Broad Street in Birmingham, England, named in 1989 to commemorate the centenary of Birmingham achieving city status. The area was an industrial area of small workshops and canal wharves ...
to the
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BM&AG) is a museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England. It has a collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, natural history, archaeology, ethnography, local ...
. It is estimated the new library cost £193 million and is seen by
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom (e ...
as a flagship project for the Redevelopment of Birmingham and is set to become the largest public library in Britain.
The Cube
The Cube is a 23
storey
A storey (British English) or story (American English) is any level part of a building with a floor that could be used by people (for living, work, storage, recreation, etc.). Plurals for the word are ''storeys'' (UK) and ''stories'' (US).
T ...
cuboid tower completed in 2010, in Birmingham, England. Designed by
Ken Shuttleworth of
Make Architects
Make Architects is an international architecture practice headquartered in London that also has offices in offices in Hong Kong and Sydney. Founded in 2004 by former Foster + Partners architect Ken Shuttleworth. The practice has a variety of proj ...
, the
mixed use development
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
contains 135 flats, 111,500 ft² (10,360 m²) of offices, shops, a hotel and a 'skyline' restaurant. It is the final phase of
The Mailbox
Mailbox Birmingham (also known as The Mailbox) is a mixed-use development located within the city centre of Birmingham, England. It houses British luxury department store chain Harvey Nichols, and the BBC Birmingham studios.
The scheme compr ...
development. It has already been dubbed 'Tetris Tower' by some
Brummies due to the exterior resembling the shapes on the game
Tetris
''Tetris'' (russian: link=no, Тетрис) is a puzzle video game created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. It has been published by several companies for multiple platforms, most prominently during a dispute over the approp ...
.
Highways England
National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all fo ...
have relocated their offices to The Cube from
Five Ways.
Arena Central
The Arena Central project includes offices, apartments, leisure facilities, bars and restaurants on Broad Street on the site of the former ATV / Central Television Studios which had closed in 1997. Construction has been delayed due to the property market slump.
The
V Building
The V Building (formerly known as Arena Central Tower) was a proposed 51-storey residential skyscraper approved for construction on Broad Street on the Westside of the city centre of Birmingham, England. The tower was part of the larger Arena Ce ...
is a proposed 51 storey landmark residential skyscraper. It will be located next to
Alpha Tower
Alpha Tower is a Grade II listed office skyscraper in Birmingham, England. It was designed by the Birmingham-born architect George Marsh of Richard Seifert & Partners as the headquarters of the commercial television company ATV (Associated T ...
, one of the tallest buildings in Birmingham, on what is currently a multi-level underground car park. The total cost of the entire scheme is expected to be £400 million, and the tower, £150 million. Planning permission was granted in 2005, however developers Miller Developments and Bridgehouse Capital have been granted a five-year extension on planning permission for the V Building meaning it must be built by 2015.
It is believed the larger Arena Central site may not be completed until 2030.
Regal Tower
Regal Tower is a proposed
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
to be constructed on the corner of
Broad Street and Sheepcote Street in Birmingham,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
The proposal consists of a 56-storey tower, measuring tall, housing retail units, a luxury hotel, residential apartments and car parking. Provision has been made for 256 serviced apartments, although these could become additional hotel space. It is estimated it will cost £125million to construct, and when completed, it will become the tallest building in the city at 200m.This project has now been cancelled.
Park Central
Lee Bank
Lee Bank was an inner city area of Birmingham, England. It was part of the Edgbaston and Ladywood wards, inside the Middle Ring Road or Middleway, which surrounds Central Birmingham.
Lee Bank's neighbouring areas are Edgbaston, Ladywood, Highga ...
was a large inner-city council estate, which was one of five areas designated as a redevelopment area following World War 2. Originally slum housing, it was cleared by the council who constructed numerous tower blocks and low rise maisonettes. Lee Bank began to deteriorate following poor construction which led to inadequate maintenance. The estate was purchased by
Optima Housing who aimed to redevelop the site.
The development, known as
Park Central Park Central may refer to:
* Park Central, Birmingham, England, UK; a real estate development
* Park Central, Gauteng, Johannesburg, South Africa; a suburb
* Park Central (Hong Kong), a housing estate and shopping mall
* Park Central Building, L ...
, is phase one of a larger area Optima are developing called
Attwood Green
Atwood or Attwood is the surname of:
* Angela Atwood (1949–1974), founding member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), American terrorist group which kidnapped Patricia Hearst
* Brett Atwood, journalist, online editor and academic
* Casey ...
. Phase one is being built by
Crest Nicholson
Crest Nicholson is a British housebuilding company based in Chertsey, Surrey. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
1963-2000
The company was founded by Bryan Skinner in 1963 as Crest Hom ...
and has resulted in the demolition of all the
tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently ...
s on the former Lee Bank estate. Park Central is one of Europe's largest urban renaissance projects.
[Optima Housing: History](_blank)
/ref>
Paradise, Birmingham
Paradise, Birmingham, previously known as Paradise Circus, is a large site in the city centre in which the council has investigated options for redeveloping the site following the imminent demolition of Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library was the main public library in Birmingham, England, from 1974 until 2013, replacing a library opened in 1865 and rebuilt in 1882. For a time the largest non-national library in Europe, it closed on 29 June 2013 and was ...
. At present, it is home to the Central Library, Birmingham Conservatoire
The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a music school, drama school and concert venue in Birmingham, England. It provides professional education in music, acting, and related disciplines up to postgraduate level. It is a centre for scholarly res ...
(including the Adrian Boult Hall), Birmingham Library Theatre and Paradise Forum. It was designed by John Madin
John Hardcastle Dalton Madin (23 March 1924 – 8 January 2012) was an English architect. His company, known as John H D Madin & Partners from 1962 and the John Madin Design Group from 1968, was active in Birmingham for over 30 years.
Bio ...
and the Brutalist
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...
architecture of the conglomerate of buildings is seen by many as contributing to Birmingham's concrete jungle
Concrete jungle may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Concrete Jungle'' (David "Fathead" Newman album), 1977
* ''Concrete Jungle'' (Dive album), or the title song, 1993
* ''Concrete Jungle'' (Nneka album), 2010
* ''Concrete Jungle'' (Scorcher album) ...
image.
The Paradise, Birmingham redevelopment
has been an important part of the redevelopment of the city centre, and plans from the 1990s suggested the construction of skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
s. The site was also identified as an appropriate location for a tall building under the "High Places" document.[Birmingham High Places Document](_blank)
/ref> The development is estimated to cost £1 billion, and the council has joined with several major developers involved in projects across the city to establish plans for the site. However, a report into the financial feasibility of redeveloping the site warned the project was financially flawed and unlikely to succeed.
As of May 2007, Argent are investing £2 million to improve the interior of Paradise Forum.
In July 2012, Argent submitted an outline planning application to develop up to 10 new buildings, which include a new upgraded Copthorne and a concert hall for Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University (abbrev. BCU) is a university in Birmingham, England. Initially established as the Birmingham College of Art with roots dating back to 1843, it was designated as a polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic in 1971 and gai ...
’s school of music. Chamberlain Square and Centenary Square will be linked through news public squares whilst pedestrians will be encouraged around the site with new leisure, cultural and civic amenities. Granted planning permission be approved at the end of 2012, construction will begin in 2014 for an estimated completion date of 2017.
Eastside
Eastside is a new area of Birmingham city centre made possible by the demolition of a large elevated road junction called Masshouse Circus and the Inner Ring Road. This was known as the "concrete collar". The council drew up plans to develop the former industrial area into a vibrant area. They also aimed to create a technology quarter, due to the proximity to Aston Science Park
Birmingham Science Park Aston, formerly known as Aston Science Park, is a science park located in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. It is located adjacent to Aston University and the Eastside area.
Description
Birmingham Science Park A ...
, and to create an education quarter, due to the proximity of Aston University
Aston University (abbreviated as ''Aston''. for post-nominals) is a public research university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first c ...
.
The area has been sold to various developers who are being encouraged to build large mixed use schemes. The first building to be completed in Eastside was Millennium Point in the education quarter. This has since been followed by the completion of the New Technology Institute
The New Technology Institute, Birmingham (abbreviated to NTI Birmingham) is a training centre and media studio located in the Learning and Leisure Zone of the Eastside of Birmingham, England.
Part of by Birmingham City University, the building o ...
and the new Birmingham Metropolitan College
Birmingham Metropolitan College is a further and higher education college with 10 campuses distributed within Birmingham, England. The college was created in 2009 as an amalgamation of Matthew Boulton College and Sutton Coldfield College. The ...
Matthew Boulton campus.
Eastside City Park
Eastside City Park
Eastside City Park is a 6.75 acre (2.73 ha) urban park located in the Eastside district of Birmingham City Centre. Designed by architects Patel taylor with landscape architect Allain Provost, the park was opened to the public on 5 December 2012 ...
is an urban park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...
in Birmingham, United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, covering . The scheme is part of the Eastside regeneration programme. The park was designed by Architects Patel Taylor with French Landscape Architect Allain Provost
Allain Provost is a French landscape architect. His works include designs for the Parc Floral in the Bois de Vincennes, Paris, Parc André Citroën in Paris, the Jardin Diderot at La Défense, La Courneuve Park (1972–2000) in Seine-Saint-Denis, ...
who gained commission for the project in 2006. Development of the park commenced in August 2011 by contractors Wates. The park partially opened to the public on 5 December 2012 and officially opened on 16 March 2013. It was the first city centre park created in Birmingham for 125 years and doubled the amount of open space in the city centre.
City Park Gate
The City Park Gate scheme located immediately adjacent to Moor Street station will deliver over of Grade A offices, a 200-room hotel, 250 residential apartments, and of retail. The scheme will also include a major new public square. An outline planning application for the development, designed by Make Architects
Make Architects is an international architecture practice headquartered in London that also has offices in offices in Hong Kong and Sydney. Founded in 2004 by former Foster + Partners architect Ken Shuttleworth. The practice has a variety of proj ...
, received consent on 10 May 2007. Construction was originally expected to begin in early 2008 and be completed by 2011.
Masshouse
Masshouse is a development with the construction of 13 new highrise blocks intended for public services, commerce and residential purposes. When completed, the blocks will have a prominent position on the Eastside skyline. Also planned for location at Masshouse was Birmingham Magistrates' Court
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
, which was scheduled to begin building in March 2010 to be completed in early 2013, but has since been cancelled by the Conservative-LibDem Coalition government.
In mid-2010, city planners approved proposals for a nine-storey, 174 bed hotel beside the existing Masshouse building. The Hotel La Tour group plans to open the four star in February 2012, creating 100 full and part-time jobs in the area. The development will include a restaurant, bar, gym and conference facilities.
Martineau Galleries
Martineau Galleries
Martineau Galleries is a proposed mixed-use development for Birmingham, England which was shelved in 2009 but re-approved in 2020. It was to connect the Eastside to the city centre core, a major retail area.
History
Pre-1960s development
...
was a proposed mixed-use development to connect the Eastside to the city centre core and was also to be located on the High Street, a major retail area. The design contained residential and office blocks as well as an open area surrounded by shops. There were also five rooftop gardens. There was also to be a block with two towers protruding, one of which was estimated to be 110 metres in height with 29 floors and a sloped roof with two rooftop gardens either side of these. The other was shorter, however also had the sloped roof. It was proposed that there would be eight buildings in total on site. It was shelved in 2009.
High Speed 2
Eastside is the planned location for the city centre terminus station for High Speed 2
High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway line in England, the first phase of which is under construction in stages and due for completion between 2029 and 2033, depending on approval for later stages. The new line will run from its m ...
(HS2) phase one at Curzon Street railway station. It is expected that once HS2 is complete journey times from London into Birmingham City Centre will be reduced to 45 minutes with the potential to bring £1.4 billion of economic value ( GVA) into the region. Birmingham City Council's Gross value added, sets out how investment in the Curzon area will enable the city to benefit from the improved connectivity with London (phase one 2026) and northern cities in phase two.
Digbeth
Beorma Quarter
The Beorma
Beorma ( , ) is the name most commonly given to the circa 7th century Anglo-Saxon founder or later leader of the settlement now known as the English city of Birmingham before its first mention in 1086. At its Saxon founding the forerunner settlemen ...
Quarter was planned for construction from 2010 onwards, as a multimillion-pound 27-storey city-within-a-city development on a site at the end of Digbeth
Digbeth is an area of Central Birmingham, England. Following the destruction of the Inner Ring Road, Digbeth is now considered a district within Birmingham City Centre. As part of the Big City Plan, Digbeth is undergoing a large redevelopment ...
High Street, directly opposite Birmingham's already iconic Selfridges
Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited, part of the Selfridges Group of department stores. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge ...
building (it will occupy the site of the city's last seven burgage
Burgage is a medieval land term used in Great Britain and Ireland, well established by the 13th century.
A burgage was a town ("borough" or "burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property ("burgage tenement ...
plots [e-architect](_blank)
/ref>). Complete with state-of-the-art environmental and energy systems, the final development is likely to consist of a Marriott Hotel
Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's brand of full-service hotels and resorts based in Bethesda, Maryland. As of June 30, 2020, there were 582 hotels and resorts with 205,053 rooms operating under the brand, in addition to 160 ...
, apartments, green spaces, a niche shopping centre, a public space intended to house Birmingham's historic John F. Kennedy memorial and two refurbished cold storage buildings which will be redeveloped as creative industries business incubation and innovation hubs.
Planning permission was granted for the Beorma Quarter in August 2009, despite the fact that the project contravenes at least two of the City Council’s own planning policies. It is outside the city's designated tall building area and is also in the middle of a conservation area. The tower was described as "abominable" and "like a punch in the face by an architectural fist" by the city’s Conservation and Heritage Panel.
Preliminary work on the construction of the Beorma Quarter began in December 2010. Work started with stripping out the listed Cold Store building opposite St. Martin's Church. The conversion of the historic, building will create an innovation centre for businesses.
By February 2011, a question mark remained over the development of the site's 27-storey tower block, as construction will only commence once occupiers are found.
Birmingham Coach Station
Digbeth Coach Station underwent a £15 million redevelopment in 2009 and was renamed Birmingham Coach Station
Birmingham Coach Station (formerly Digbeth Coach Station) is a major coach interchange in Digbeth, Birmingham, England offering services to destinations throughout the island of Great Britain and also to Belfast and Dublin. National Express, the ...
. It is a major coach interchange offering services to destinations throughout Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
and also to Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
and Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. National Express
National Express Group is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Birmingham, England. It operates bus, coach, train and tram services in the United Kingdom, Ireland (National Express operates Eurolines in conjunction ...
, the largest scheduled coach service provider in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, has its national headquarters on the site.
Other developments
The completion of South Birmingham College: Digbeth and the renovation of the Custard Factory
The Custard Factory is a creative and digital business workspace complex, including independent shops, cafes and bars, on the site of what was the Bird's Custard factory off High Street, Deritend, in the Digbeth area of central Birmingham, Engl ...
also attracted interest to the area economically with the opening of a Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
showroom in the area in early 2006, despite the council naming the area as a media quarter. The Custard Factory is again set for an expansion with the refurbishment of the adjacent Devonshire House being approved by Birmingham City Council in August 2007. Scaffolding has been erected around the structure. A further planning application has been submitted for the installation of artwork on one of the railway arches making up the Digbeth Viaduct. Opposite the Custard Factory is a five-storey office development named Rhubarb designed by Bryant Priest Newman Architects which was completed in February 2010.
Deritend
Deritend is a historic area of Birmingham, England, built around a crossing point of the River Rea. It is first mentioned in 1276. Today Deritend is usually considered to be part of Digbeth.
History
Deritend was a crossing point of the River Rea ...
is also expected to witness a vast amount of redevelopment. A large number of low-rise residential schemes have been proposed with several beginning construction in 2005 and 2006. Deritend Bridge (so called because of its location near a bridge which crossed the River Rea
The River Rea (pronounced "ray") is a small river which passes through Birmingham, England. It is the river on which Birmingham was founded by the Beorma tribe in the 7th century. Since 2012, TA Media had obtained the rights and access to the ...
called Deritend Bridge) was a large residential development planned for the area. It received outline planning consent however the land was then sold by the developers to another company. The site is now set to be developed into a large mixed-use scheme named Connaught Square by the Naus Group. The development in Deritend extends towards the Bordesley area which borders Eastside.
An area between Fazeley Street and the Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter st ...
in Digbeth, named Warwick Bar
The Warwick Bar conservation area is a conservation area in Birmingham, England which was home to many canalside factories during the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
It is named after the Warwick Bar and later ...
, has become the focus of redevelopment itself with the construction of new modern buildings and a restoration project of an old Victorian storage facility. Proposals are also being planned for the area including a little-known project known as "''The Needle''". Its location is not known according to a developments document issued however it would most likely be at Warwick Bar.
Southside and Highgate
Southside BID
The Southside Business Improvement District (BID) is a plan for the local business community to come together to develop projects and services that will benefit the environment of Southside.
Gay Village
At the end of May 2009, the City Council approved plans for a £530,000 environmental improvement scheme at the heart of the city’s Gay Village area. The proposals include extending the avenue of street trees to the full length of Hurst Street
Hurst Street is the main street of the Birmingham Gay Village and is located along the edge of the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.BBCDavid Parker, "Chinese People in Birmingham: A Brief History by Dr. David Parker," January 2003 acces ...
and parts of Kent Street; widening pavements to create space for café bars to provide outdoor seating and brighter street lighting with decorative lanterns. This plan may now be funded by Southside BID.
Jewellery Quarter
Golden Square
In August 2010, planning permission was granted for a new £1.5 million square at the heart of Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is an area of central Birmingham, UK, in the north-western area of Birmingham City Centre, with a population of around 19,000 people in a area.
The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses invol ...
. Created by Birmingham-based architects, Capita Lovejoy, the ‘Golden Square’ will provide a focal point for visitors and shoppers within the Quarter. Construction is due to start in Autumn 2011, with completion in Spring 2012.
Newhall Square
Newhall Square is a vibrant new mixed use development on the site of the former Museum of Science and Industry on Newhall Street
Newhall Street is a street located in Birmingham, England.
Newhall Street stretches from Colmore Row in the city centre by St Phillip's Cathedral in a north-westerly direction towards the Jewellery Quarter. Originally the road was the drivew ...
. It will include a range of new and restored listed buildings set around a major new square fronting the canal.
High rise development
To improve the skyline of Birmingham, the "High Places" document was produced by the council to outline appropriate places for highrise buildings and to explain what the council expects from their design. Birmingham city centre is located on a sandstone ridge and is about 100 metres above sea level meaning that towers no taller than 40 storeys are advised due to CAA
CAA may refer to:
Law
* Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India
** Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
* Copyright transfer agreement, Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to ...
height restrictions.
Several towers have been proposed for Birmingham since. Beetham Tower was originally proposed at 191 metres, however, the height restrictions meant the height was cut down to 122 metres. It has since been completed. V Building
The V Building (formerly known as Arena Central Tower) was a proposed 51-storey residential skyscraper approved for construction on Broad Street on the Westside of the city centre of Birmingham, England. The tower was part of the larger Arena Ce ...
, first known as Arena Central Tower, was first proposed at 245 metres but was also shortened to 175 metres. The building was redesigned by Eric Kuhne
Eric Robert Kuhne (September 2, 1951 – July 25, 2016) was an American-born British architect based in London. With major projects around the world, Kuhne's assignments included the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent completed in 1999, the larges ...
and is proposed at 152 metres.
One building, Broad Street Tower, surpasses the height restrictions. It received planning approval in 2006 when Birmingham International Airport
Birmingham Airport , formerly ''Birmingham International Airport'', is an international airport located east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, west-northwest of Coventry slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Boroug ...
withdrew objections to the tower.
Outside of the City Centre
The new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is a major, 1,215 bed, tertiary NHS and military hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, situated very close to the University of Birmingham. The hospital, which cost £545 million to construct ...
is the city's first superhospital, completed in 2010. The completion cost was £545 million. The new hospital replaces Selly Oak Hospital
Selly Oak Hospital was situated in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham, England. Previously managed by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the hospital closed in 2011.
History Origins
The site was originally selected for th ...
and the old Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (1933–2010)
The original Queen Elizabeth Hospital was an NHS hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham situated very close to the University of Birmingham. It was replaced by the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital, nearby.
The hospital provided a range of se ...
.
The City of Birmingham Stadium
The City of Birmingham Stadium was a proposed multi-purpose stadium in the Saltley area of Birmingham, England, originally for Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Birmingham City F.C. to replace the current Edgbaston Cricket Ground and St An ...
was a proposed multi-purpose stadium in the Saltley
Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, and was previously part of the Nechells ward. It is part of the Ladywood constituency in the city.
History
Saltley was originally ...
area of Birmingham for Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first tea ...
, to replace the current St Andrew's Stadium in Bordesley Green
Bordesley Green is an inner-city area of Birmingham, England about two miles east of the city centre. It also contains a road of the same name. It is in the Bordesley Green Ward which also covers some of Small Heath.
Heartlands Hospital is lo ...
. The original proposal was the centrepiece of a larger scheme to create a £300 million sports village on a site, however, plans for the sports village fell through when plans for a proposed supercasino for the site also fell through.
Urban Splash also developed Fort Dunlop
Fort Dunlop (), is the common name of the original tyre factory and main office of Dunlop Rubber in the Erdington district of Birmingham, England. It was established in 1917, and by 1954 the entire factory area employed 10,000 workers. At one tim ...
, a former factory building next to the M6 motorway
The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is located entirely within England, running for just over from the Midlands to the border with Scotland. It begins at Junction 19 of the M1 and the western end of the A14 at t ...
, which opened in December 2006.Fort Dunlop website
Bournville College
Bournville College is a further education college based in Longbridge, Birmingham, England. The college offers courses that include A Levels, BTECs, NVQs, apprenticeships, and bespoke qualifications.
History
The college was established in 1913 ...
has relocated to Longbridge on the former site of the MG Rover works.
See also
* List of tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham
This list of the tallest buildings and structures in the Birmingham Metropolitan Area, West Midlands ranks buildings and free-standing structures by height, based on standard height measurements that include spires and architectural details b ...
* Architecture of Birmingham
Although Birmingham in England has existed as a settlement for over a thousand years, today's city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, with little surviving from its early history. As it has expanded, it has acqui ...
* Midlands Engine
References
External links
{{Economy of the United Kingdom
Economy of Birmingham, West Midlands
Local government in Birmingham, West Midlands
City plans
Town and country planning in England