The Methodist Central Hall, 196–224 Corporation Street,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, England, is a three-storey

red brick and terracotta Architectural terracotta refers to a fired mixture of clay and water that can be used in a non-structural, semi-structural, or structural capacity on the exterior or interior of a building. Terracotta is an ancient building material that transla ...

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

with a distinctive tower at the northern end of Corporation Street. The design complements the

Victoria Law Courts The Victoria Law Courts is a red brick and terracotta judicial building, which accommodates Birmingham Magistrates' Court, on Corporation Street, Birmingham, England. It is a Grade I listed building. History For much of the 19th century, cri ...

opposite, also in terracotta, and includes eclectic details such as the corner turrets resembling Indian

chattris ''Chhatri'' are semi-open, elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. They are most commonly square, octagonal, and round. Originating as a canopy above tombs, they largely serve ...

. It is located within the Steelhouse

Conservation Area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

. The terracotta was manufactured by the renowned firm of Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth, which also produced decorative works for 179-203 Corporation Street and the interior of the Victoria Law Courts in Birmingham and the Natural History Museum in London. It was built 1903–04 by architects Ewan Harper & James A. Harper. The main hall seated 2,000 and it had more than 30 other rooms, including three school halls. It cost £96,165. The street level has twelve bays of shops (four with their original fronts). The building also runs along Ryder Street and has more original shop fronts. In 1991, the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

church was converted into the

Que Club The Que Club was a music venue in Birmingham, England that was famous for hosting many well-known bands and club nights. As well as hosting famous acts, the Que Club became a centre for alternative culture, including the rave music scene. The Que ...

, a nightclub and music venue; however, since its closure in 2002, the building fell empty and was poorly maintained. Currently it is only partially in use and its deteriorating condition has led to it being listed on

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

Heritage at Risk Register An annual ''Heritage at Risk Register'' is published by Historic England. The survey is used by national and local government, a wide range of individuals and heritage groups to establish the extent of risk and to help assess priorities for acti ...

. The building has been the subject of various proposals for conversion to apartments and offices. In 2018

Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council is the local authority for the city of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. Birmingham has had an elected local authority since 1838, which has been reformed several times. Since 1974 the council has been a metropo ...

approved plans to restore and renovate the building including a 147-bed hotel. In July 2022, it was announced that

Press Up Entertainment Eclective (formerly Press Up Hospitality Group) is a cinema, hotel, pub, retail and restaurant operator based in Dublin, Ireland. Ownership is shared between Paddy McKillen, Jr., son of Paddy McKillen, and Matt Ryan. Their properties include t ...

, would begin converting the building into a 150 bedroom hotel and event space following a grant of planning permission. The building will be renamed The Dean Hotel as part of the renovation.

Notes

References

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External links

* {{BirminghamBuildings Romanesque Revival church buildings in England Terracotta Former Methodist churches in the United Kingdom Methodist churches in the West Midlands (county) Churches in Birmingham, West Midlands Grade II* listed buildings in Birmingham Grade II* listed churches in the West Midlands (county) Nightclubs in Birmingham, West Midlands