B’HAM
CONTENTS 1 | INTRODUCTION | p5
OLD
2 | MARGARET STREET | p7 3 | ST MARTIN | p9 4 | NATWEST TOWER | p11 5 | THE CANALS | p14
NEW
6 | BEETHAM TOWER | p18 7 | THE CUBE | p22 8 | THE LIBRARY | p23
REFURBISHED
9 | GRAND HOTEL | p26 10 | IKON | p27
Experience a journey through Birmingham’s finest “architexture”. From the old, to the new, to even the refurbished; take a closer look at them all. Evocative designs, untold stories. Everything awaits, all just one flick away.
OLD
School of Art Margaret Street
T
he School of Art, Margaret Street, is a grade l* listed building, that has been in use since it opened in 1885 and has remained true to its purpose of housing an art school, with it providing an environment full of inspiration and history. The building was designed by architect J H Chamberlain, but his sudden death in 1883 meant that his designs were left to be created by partner William Martin, saddening to believe that he would not see his finest work in its entirety. The buildings Venetian style and Victorian Gothic structure combine to create a piece that is worthy of a page in John Ruskin’s Stones of Venice, that majorly influenced Chamberlain’s work. After it’s opening in 1885 the School of Art was forced to expand due to it’s popular demand, which unfortunately meant that the building was no longer suitable to house the entire faculty, therefore other schools
were created in association with Margaret Street. The School of Art was now named the “Birmingham Institute of Art and Design” The building today is still home to Art and in 1995 was refurbished with fitting glass lifts and spiral stair cases, although still retaining the original wooden interior, stained glass windows and tiled floor.
Words:
Penny Mason
T
he oldest of Birmingham’s churches, St.Martin has been in the heart of the city since the 12th century. Being resculpted in the victorian period into the church that stands today. Its majestic presence rising out of its ever changing surroundings. 1890 Birmingham city centre. A city at the brink of the turn of the century filled with elegant Georgian buildings, streets filled with raucous market stalls and brimming with family run businesses. All focused around St. Martin, the throbbing and lively city at the fore front of architecture. Fading elaborate signs displaying the names of age old families, describing their service swing in the breeze, the beautiful Georgian building famed by cities such as Bath and Edinburgh, display their goods through their glittering shop fronts. market people bellowing the deals of the day, a slight haze in the air from the fast growing industrial industries flourishing in the north. All this is shadowed by the mighty building of St.Martin. 2012 Birmingham city centre, St.Martin, now surrounded by elegant, fluctuating metal pods that make up the food court of the Bullring. It is a world away from Birmingham at the turn of the century, even Birmingham 20 years ago. it still manages to keep its imposing place as one of Birmingham’s icons, even with the backdrop of the legendary and futuristic building of Selfridges&Co. The juxtaposing
architecture intwining gothic Victorian and modern doesn’t just work but makes each element more beautiful and prominent. The fountain that streams down the wall of the steps leading to church, is embellished with words reminding all of the importance of Birmingham’s history in a city which is constantly moving forward and changing. St. Martin is a powerful reminder of this in the ever modernizing architecture which is reshaping the identity of the city. St. Martin has stood strong through centuries at the heart of this ever evolving city. whether escaping the hustle of the 19th century markets or the bustle of 21st century shopping, you mealy have to step through the doors into absolute silence in a awe inspiring building that has stood unchanged for hundreds of years, representing the beauty of british architecture at its most powerful.
Words:
Eleanor Wright
St. Martin in the Bullring
Natwest Tower
A
rchitect John Madin (1924-2012) is the most important name when it comes to Birmingham’s architecture. Infamous for designing Birmingham’s middle century buildings, such as: the AEU Building (1955 demolished 2005), Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1958), the Post and Mail building (1960, demolished 2005), Metropolitan House and most importantly, the NatWest Tower (1973, soon to be demolished). Located at 103 Colmore Row, the tower was one of the main buildings that could easily stand out when it came to Birmingham’s city landscape. Now soon to be demolished, this building stands deserted, rusted and abandoned, waiting to go down with all of its history. The building’s concept was presented in 1964 and like most architectural projects; it suffered a lot of alterations. The original design was purely inspired by the
University of Pittsburgh by Louis Kahn but because of certain restrictions, mainly due to space and money related issues, the building came out the way you see it today. Of course, the place didn’t always look so abandoned. The tower had to be built in two phases because the National Westminster Bank wanted its West Midlands headquarters to be in the main business area of the city as fast as possible. The first phase of the building consisted of the construction of the main banking hall, which was completed in 1969 and the second phase, the actual tower, started to be built in 1973 and was finished three years later in 1976. The NatWest building is of Brutalist style, a popular architectural current of the time which offered Birmingham the industrial look that suited it so well. The main elements that give this building its specific look are the concrete panels on the exterior and the sculpted
“I hope to see in the near future a greater and a more beautiful Birmingham, and I also wish that I shall be one of those lucky men who will, with care and sympathy, be able to graft our City into the finest in the World.” - John Madin
aluminium doors. The building may look dark and sad in today’s standard view of the city but in the 70s, this was the style that everybody wanted for a British city. All in all, this building has served well its institution and city. The new project that will replace it will continue what the old tower has done: shape Birmingham’s skyline.
Words:
Razvan Harabor
A Canvas of Unity
T
hey say that a picture can speak a thousand words, and the walls of Birmingham’s canals? They speak a thousand thoughts. Sadly, there are only a handful of people who can really respect the canals as they are. The majority perceive them as “ugly”, “rough” and sometimes even “sinister”. In reality, these very “sinister” canals have provided unlimited amount of stimulus to many designers, artists and in some cases, even businesses. Organisations such as Sturban Clothing are becoming more and more involved with areas like the canals purely because of its impressive graffiti. Learning to see it as stimulus, they’ve incorporated similar designs into their clothing brand. Truly appreciating the work of the graffiti artists, but now this brings me to ask; why can’t we? Whether or not we realise it, there is so much talent illustrated along these walls. Each graffiti artist who has involved themselves must have a reason onto why they feel the need to make such a prominent mark on public property. Each work of graffiti has a point it’s trying to make. Each phrase, line, image, colour, all have some
The Canals
story that wants to be said. How they layer over each other, how they’ve almost become a metaphor crying out their desperation to being heard. Outsiders see it as vandalism, but could it actually be a fraught statement? It is a shame. Canals are regarded as mundane everyday places and once spray paint hits the surface of that wall, they then become labelled as unattractive and are soon neglected. Thankfully there are people who are able to see the canals in a different perspective. Rather, they can appreciate the hard work the artists have done to its full extent. Almost like an exhibition of collaborated skill on one long canvas, it really is quite the sight. Let’s just hope this number grows so others can soon realise how graffiti can really bring the canals to life.
Words:
Thonima Mahbub
NEW
Beetham Tower ‘Post-industrial cities have to change ... we’re not in Rome’ - Ian Simpson
B
eetham Tower, the tallest building in the city to offer accommodation as a hotel and flats, for many, is one of the most important landmarks in Birmingham. The blue tower is situated at 10 Holloway Circus in the Birmingham City Centre. Although this building dominates the city’s skyline, the blue giant was built on the site of the now demolished AEU building previously designed by John Madin, an architect that helped shape the face of the city in the middle of the 20th Century. Post modernism is the main word that defines the tiger-striped, curveshaped building. Ian Simpson, the architect that helped reshape the face of Birmingham is well known for his original style, mainly for the Beetham Tower in Manchester. Our own Beetham Tower is built mainly of steel,
concrete and glass. It seems pretty standard but the thing that makes this masterpiece stand out is the glass facade that covers the building from head to toe. The purpose of the building was to house both a hotel (Radisson Blu) and also apartments. Mr Simpson put art first when this building was designed and that means limitations from a practical point of view: to maintain the lean curve of the building, only some windows open and when they do, they only do a bit, just to let fresh air in. This was one of the complaints that were received after people started moving in the building. The main problem was the fact that the flats didn’t have the specified dimensions; they were about 10% smaller then specified. But we are fairly sure that living in a sky scrapper
compensates the fact that you won’t be able to fit a fancy armchair in your living room. The building’s design suffered a lot of alterations because of different regulations such as the 9/11 pact that doesn’t allow really high buildings in cities and also some money-related issues which always arise for some reason. The building of this tower cost about 72 million pounds but it was back when the economical crisis was just a thing that homeless people preached on the streets. All in all, the building is a huge success and makes Birmingham look so much better along with some other buildings like the Cube, Snowhill office buildings and Selfridges.
Words:
Razvan Harabor
the
CUBE T he Cube, a building that dominates the Birmingham skyline, and that now stands as one of the many fresh faces of its definitive architecture. Located on Wharfside Street, the building is situated amongst Commercial Street and the city’s renowned Canalside. The 25 storey, mixed use building was designed by architect Ken Shuttleworth, born in Birmingham, his message has history and meaning, strongly supported by his heritage. However, this project was no more than another string to Shuttleworth’s bow, as he also designed the iconic “Gherkin” skyscraper in London, with fellow architect Norman Foster. The name of the building der ives from its “cubic” dimensions, although it actually consists of 3 stages including the Base, Cube and Crown, of which made up of concrete, aluminum and steel. The “Jewellery Box” as the cube is often referred to as, is said to pay heritage by contrasting Birmingham’s heavy industrial roots
with the intricacy of its hand made Jewellery legacy. Shuttleworth believes that the aluminum cladding reflects the nature of the work he refers to as “industrial”, inspired predominantly by the metal plate work industry. Whereas the inside reflects the jewellery craft, where it is enveloped with beautiful lighting and glass. Inside the cube you will find 135 apartments, 111,500 square foot of shops/offices/hotel, and a skyline restaurant belonging to Marco Pierre White, breath taking food and a 360 degree view of the city to accompany it. It is safe to say that this building deserves its place within Birmingham’s skyline, it has meaning and history that shouldn’t be forgotten, which has been captured in this modern day piece of architecture. Words: Penny Mason
The
The
Library
Library
T
he new Birmingham library, This monumental project that is reshaping the face of this ever evolving city. With architecture to match that of Selfridges, it will undoubtedly become just as iconic. On completion in 2015 it is set to become the biggest library in the UK. A flagship project costing £188.8 million. Constructed of thousands of large black steel circles backed with thousands more, identical smaller white ones. Each one cut out, leaving a thin curved x throughout the middle. Creating a layered jigsaw effect on to the surfaces of black and gold. The circles, each one detached from the other to form a beautiful, sweeping, symmetrical pattern. Created by the world renowned architect Bruno Happold, who has worked on projects such as the Pompidou center, Millennium dome and the Sydney opera house, buildings that have shaped the modern architecture of the world.
The library with an advertising campaign titled ‘Rewriting the Book’ is set to reshape not only the Birmingham skyline but the populations library experience. The current library is built onto the side of an aging shopping centre. The old, present library itself is an out of date bleak grey building. This new library is set most definitely to increase the interest of exploring, learning and innovation, not only through its contents, but its awe-inspiring exterior.
Words: Eleanor Wright
REFURBISHED
Grand hotel T
he Grand Hotel, a Grade ll* listed building, located at 43 Colmore Row, Birmingham, is one of the largest Victorian hotels remaining in the Midlands. The Hotel was built in 1875 and completed in 1879 by architect Thomson Plevins. With his style inspired by the French Renaissance, Plevin designed a hotel with even bays and spectacular symmetry. The building is constructed of ashlar, brick and terracotta, with the request of a stone facade to evoke status and grandeur, attracting the equally noble social class. However, since 2002 it has been closed due to the risk of crumbling stonework and has been put under protective layers and scaffolding to this day, due to stone hitting the floor of Colmore Row in 2003. After this controversial incident the Grand Hotel was rumoured to be demolished, as it was believed to be beyond repair. At present, the Grand Hotel is now under restoration, with planning permission being granted earlier this year to renovate the building into a deluxe 152 bedroom hotel, with a new main entrance and refurbished shops to suit its new appearance and ambience. The target reopening date has been set for 2014, where it will be open to the public after 12 years of debate. After investigation it was found that the stone used for the hotel was in fact unsuitable and consequently did not hold structure accordingly. This clearly reflecting the distance between the 19th and 21st century. Words: Penny Mason
Words: Thonima Mahbub
Ikon
A
gothic structure of two storeys in which it holds brilliant arrays of contemporary art. Of course this goldmine of inspiration can only be Birmingham’s one and only, Ikon Gallery. Forty years since the birth of this architectural wonder and forty years of help has it provided to many an artist. The Ikon has approximately showed over 800 exhibitions in those past forty years, a figure that is hoped to increase in the years to come. Recently the gallery has undergone some major changes. Plans of refurbishments were taken into action and as a result, won the gallery the award of “best refurbishment project” by Brick Awards 2000. It’s no wonder as the new modern and fresh interior is now a lot easier on the eyes. Thankfully the gorgeous Victorian-styled exterior was untouched. Those familiar with the Ikon all seem to agree on the importance of the gallery’s outer image, especially because it depicts the magnificent forty year journey of its life. Nevertheless, it has come to my attention that the Ikon only receives roughly 121,520
visitors a year. Out of that 121,520 there are about 30,000 who visit the exhibition area, including the regular visitors. It may be an impressive figure at first, however, that is the equivalent of 82 people a day or 3 primary school classes worth of visitors. It’s absolutely shocking that such an amazing place can be overlooked liked this. The fact that it’s only a 15 minute walk away from the bullring but it’s also free of charge. The gallery offers a diverse range of programmes, so not only is it a place of education but would be a great form of entertainment for individuals or families as well. Luckily for the Ikon, it doesn’t solely depend of the visitors funding to run. Thankfully the Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England kindly funds the gallery annually, which goes towards running costs and allows the option of free entry for all visitors. Such a stimulating environment, with no cost at all. So why is it that many still turn a blind eye? The best form of support the gallery could receive is simply a few minutes of your time – don’t let it slip into history.
Why Turn a Blind Eye?