Birmingham Bullring Regeneration

25th January

2012

Sophie Rose 4103788

INTRODUCTION In this essay I aim to evaluate the various stages of development and redevelopment of the Bull Ring area in Birmingham over the last centuries. Highlighting the distinct characteristics which made it a small, successful and functional society within the city of Birmingham and how this character was altered by subsequent redevelopments and in particular the hastily conceived development of the area in the 1960’s by Manzoni and following on with the recent redevelopment of the 2000 which appeared to return the fundamental social advantages of a distinctive community.

U r b a n D e s i g n T h e o r y a n d U r b a n D e s i g n a n d R e g e n e r a t i o n

Saint Martins Square in Birmingham, England endured its latest redevelopment in 2003 with the collaboration of Benoy Architects and The Birmingham Alliance. Since the Middle Ages, the area has been an important commercial space from the time when the textile market began in 1154 and this has played and significant role in the development of Birmingham’s commerce until the present day (fig 1). The name of the main commercial center in which the currently famous Selfridges department store is located inherited its name, “The Bullring” through the practice of bull-baiting which was introduced by the Romans to the United Kingdom; an entertainment which was relished by all kinds of people. The center provides all levels of commercial retail that by its nature always encourages a focal point for social interaction for all levels of society.

One of the oldest and most established parishes in Birmingham is the mother church St Martins which sits deep-rooted in the heart of the square with its timeworn moss-covered sandstone façade; this is a permanence, which the authorities have seen fit to preserve and this would have encouraged the universally religious population of the region to gather in Bullring area which must have constituted over the last 500 years as the main focal commercial center for the city.

As the market flourished, the town grew in craftsmen and traders and consequently the space became more established as a thriving center of trade. Because of its location, close to all this commercial activity, it became a highly desired residential area for the traders and artisans to locate their domestic residence.

Houses that bordered the square known as “Roundabout houses” began to encroach on the church space and the rapid development initiated massive problems with overpopulation (fig 2).

These properties were later redeveloped into the Market Hall, 1835 (fig 3) that consisted of 600 market stalls and an impressive edifice, which was a significant investment made by the city hall that underlined its commercial importance, and this investment involved specially, transported stone from bath. This substantial improvement to the area must have greatly helped the commercial and social development and prestige of the center and generally benefitted all levels of the local population.

Because of the amenities offered in the area, it was a natural place for people to congregate and discuss politics and as a consequence of this, St Martins square witnessed significant sociological movements as many demonstrations and discussions took place. The most renowned event being the Bullring riots in 1839, which was an element of the Chartist movement (fig 4). Obviously, these large social gatherings of ordinary people created an assumption that the people were in control of the area but in the 1830’s to the 1840’s this control was reclaimed by the city authorities who saw it necessary to break up large political gatherings associated with the chartist movement.

Fig 1:

Fig 2:

The canals and the new London-Birmingham railway link can be seen in the 1847 map by Ackermann, which depicts Birmingham as a centre of trade.

Painting of the Bull Ring by David Cox, 1827

Fig 3:

Fig 4:

Photograph of the Bull Ring Market Hall.

Image of the Bull Ring Riots, 1839.

Throughout the Second World War, Birmingham was the most targeted city by the German Luftwaffe outside of London and the Bullring suffered severely, the Market Hall in particular, which was bombed in August 1940.

Although many parts of the site remained in fragments for several years, the people of Birmingham sustained the use of the space as the center of trade until finances became available for the extensive redevelopment it required (fig 5 and 6). This indicates how, although the physical situation had changed the people’s resilience and fortitude encouraged them to continue to go about their normal daily lives and congregate. During these difficult times the Bull ring continued to serve as a meeting place which shows the peoples desire to continue to gather and this encouraged the town hall to provide the investment to develop the area in the knowledge that it was still very popular among the ordinary people. This relates to Gehl’s ’play habit’ theory demonstrates the human desire to be close to other and activity, regardless of the physical environment.

The wartime demolition of this area presented vast and challenging opportunities for architects of the 60’s to regenerate. This renewal followed the traditional regeneration style of its time involving shortsighted limited budgets that created low quality developments, ultimately giving Birmingham the label of being a “concrete jungle” (Parker/Long. 2004).

Fig 5:

Fig 6:

Birmingham citizens shop amongst the market stalls in the derelict site of the Bull Ring, 1942

Markets stalls continued to revive and bring hope to the city while the destruction of WWII remained, 1948

Initially the new Bull Ring reformation plans promoted its leap into modernism but the excitement quickly wore off when the public began to use the new spaces and rapidly felt isolated. This style of urbanism became known as the Brutalist Architecture movement, which was criticized for being unapproachable and uncommunicative. However, one of the driving forces behind brutalism was more philosophical in its attempt to create a social egalitarian environment. Despite of this, the massive reconstruction process formulated many strategies in an attempt to combine the city center with the contemporary, consumerist lifestyle that was beginning to take hold of the British citizens. By definition this required a vast expansion of commercial units for retail outlets, which was ultimately dominated by national groups with superstores. It was evident that the new redevelopment overlooked the humanistic needs of a public space; disregarding its environment on a historical, sociological and in the architectural level.

This fundamental change in the type and style of commercial business and display of consumption in this area (fig 7) no longer encouraged the former warm community spirit and created more of a less sympathetic capitalist marketing environment. However, it was understandable that many urban planning errors were made during this period, as planning departments were inexperienced with high-rise buildings and the architecture was also defined by limited budgets. Nonetheless, the concept following the redevelopment certainly reduced the manufacturing entities and encouraged an expansion in the more commercial/retail type of enterprise and this trend continued to present decades but the abandoning of the 60’s style of architecture development had introduced and more accommodating and more responsive style of the commercial environment which is an attempt to re-establish the lost community spirit of earlier years.

Plans for the redevelopment of the Bull Ring were instigated only 20 years after the last regeneration process and although many of these plans were just visualizations of the future Bull Ring, the London Edinburgh Trust released these concepts under a scheme named “The Peoples Plan”. This title was in indication of the more

humanistic approach that would be implicated for the next urban renewal of the space. Numerous plans were rejected and revised and it was not until 2000 where the demolition of the old Bull Ring center and many buildings around the area began. The current image of St Martins Square has transformed noticeably and the more sensitive approach to urbanism in this scheme has managed to shake off the negative reputation it amassed in the 60’s.

Fig 7:

Fig 8:

Enormous King Kong sculpture outside the Bull Ring shopping center depicting the craze of its past.

The Bull Ring shopping center and multi story car parks that dominate the space

Fig 9:

Fig 10:

Photograph of the Bull Bull Ring street market on the last day of street trading, December 1959.

Photograph of the covered street market in 2012.

Certain modifications to the square in 1960 caused a significant change to the general use of the space.

Firstly, the complete removal of the Market Hall reduced the size of the market by approximately 75% and the extortionate renting cost meant that traders were unenthusiastic about the bold concrete commercial blocks (fig 8). However the new design for the Bull Ring has brought back the street market, which creates a similar vibrant atmosphere to that of the market space before the Manzoni redevelopment (fig 9 and 10). This provides for a less corporate setting and allows people to connect with each other on a humanistic level thus maintaining a sense of trust and support amongst its citizens. “A lively city scene is lively largely by virtue of its enormous collection of small elements” (Jacobs, 1992. Pp. 148) Jane Jacobs on the importance of independent businesses to a community. A physical feature, which supports idea of the importance of local business, is the roof covering provided for the market stalls and supporting customers.

The current Bull Ring design also offers a large diversity in architectural design that helps vary the rental prices in the area, making commercial units available for private store owners and avoids the monopolization which previously dictated in the space in the 60’s. Formerly it was the St Martins church that stimulated people from all levels of society to congregate in the center. However due to the lack of interest in religion in Britain coupled with Birmingham’s diverse ethnic communities today; the church is no longer the common ground for its people. Consequently, it is now through the ability to cater to different levels of society in terms of services and opportunities, which has now returned the center to its vibrant and sensitive city focal point.

(Jacobs, 1992).

The Selfridges Center (fig 11) who’s curves playfully surrounds the square “studded with aluminium discs, like giant sequins” is an example of high-quality commercial retail establishments in the square and although the architecture is distinctive, I feel that the sense of lightheartedness in its design avoids impression of elitism.

Nevertheless, merely on the other side of the square stands low cost commercial units (fig 12) offers lowerbudget retail and it is this multiplicity of commercial establishments that appeals to the mass market.

Fig 11:

The Selfridges Department store 2012

Fig 12:

Low rent commercial unites 2012

Secondly, Manzoni was quoted, “As to Birmingham’s buildings, there is little of real worth in our architecture.

Its replacement should be an improvement...” This indifference towards historical buildings was evident in the manner in which he erected large concrete office and apartment blocks that began to encircle and overshadow the square and the famous St Martins Church (fig 13) and showed a distinct lack of sensitivity to the historical environment. The Nelson Statue was another significant feature of the square in the 1900’s (fig 14) that was moved to another location only feet away from the hectic inner ring road that now ran through the square.

The lack of historic features impacts on the squares sense of identity and with the absence of awareness of place comes a lack of respect for the cities architectural legacy in this area and it is important to maintain and preserve certain buildings of all ages and conditions (Jacobs, 1992). In the latest regeneration scheme the design curves of the new surrounding structures retain the church as a focal point in a pedestrian area as in the past and this is emphasized by the relocation of the Nelson statue where it can once again be fully appreciated.

These tower blocks also restricted the organic growth of the city, which had been an essential factor in creating a center for the people as additions were made to the space following the need of its community.

Although the new Bull Ring area is pre planned and additions to the space is improbable, the overall organic form has been reestablished which gives the surrounding buildings of the square a more forgiving stance (fig 15 and 16).

Fig 13:

Fig 14:

The skyline of the 1960’s redevelopment of the St Martins Square and Bull Ring Fig 15: Curved facades of perimeter buildings, 2012

The Nelson Statue in the position that it was first unveiled in the 1900’s

Fig 16 Bull Ring in 1800’s.

In continuation, another dominant feature, which I strongly believe had a particularly negative affect on the aesthetics and social situation of the square, was a large road (which formed part of the ring road) that carved its way through the market area (fig 17). As a result of this pedestrians were obliged to use the network of subways and escalators, which implemented a more ridged style of movement through the area (fig 18). Peter Walker, who in the 50’s worked on the ring road scheme noted; “Manzoni’s approach to the public transport seems to have been that it was a necessary blot on the road-scape to cater for the needs of the disadvantaged. As under 10% of commuters drove a car at the time, this was a very biased view” (Forster, N.D. Pp: 197). These arrangements were not only impractical but also discourage social interaction and also at a time the ownership of private vehicles was restricted to a selective few and therefore this arrangement obviously did not benefit the majority of the population who did not require vehicle access. In addition to this, the car park investment for 500 vehicles was a completely wrongly conceived and these two erroneous urban design elements constituted a division of the social classes, which is in complete contrast to the uniting original urban elements.

Fig 17:

Fig 18:

Wide roads that split the 1960’s Bull Ring center

Under passage at the Bull Ring

Fig 19:

Soft gradient of the cycle access

Fig 20:

Aerial view of St Martins Square in the 2000’s which shows the majority of the area being accommodating for pedestrian flow.

The progressively conceived urban area of the Bull Ring lends itself to easy pedestrian and cycle travel and access into the square and as a result this “well-used” public area tends to create an atmosphere of wellbeing and security. By accommodating for independent pedestrian travel, particularly through the use of the large curved ramp leading down to the square (fig 19) and large spaces that are connected by wide pedestrian avenues (fig 20) a sense of freedom of the individual is created and this freedom of movement encourages more social encounters. With the increase of humanistic connections between individuals a natural policing condition is created “strangers become and enormous asset” (Jacobs, 1992. Pp:40) on use of sidewalks.

Providing suitable opportunities to sit down is an important factor to what make a convivial environment for people to use. In contrast to the seating and resting areas provided by the Manzoni Gardens (fig 21) that were push below ground level is enclosed by the surrounding traffic routes; the seating area provided at the Bull Ring currently overlook the St Martins square which is ideal to observe others and the surroundings. This a demonstrates the urban planners understanding of a “well-loved’ space as people watching is a perennially common human activity and therefore the higher vantage point accommodates for this.

Fig 21:

Fig 22:

Manzoni Gardens, 1965 which now forms part of the Bull Ring

The new, raised level of the Bull Ring provides plenty of seating space 2012

Gehl believes that it is the people and their behaviors in a space that is a source of inspiration that generates stimulation amongst the community. In essence, the architectural fabric of the place is not as effective on the atmosphere as the actual activity endured by its people (Gehl, 2011). This is a conceivable theory, although I do believe that the severe change between the environmental conditions created during the 60’s and in todays Bull Ring shows a distinct contrast in ambiance. I feel that the wide variety of textural qualities in the buildings (fig 23), the forms of public art (fig 24) and interesting architectural forms (fig 25) allow the public interact, connect and experience their surroundings. In addition, the use of more naturalistic shapes is more engaging and therefore connects with the public on a humanistic level and by making a space more appealing to the public it will therefore inspire more public activity. According to Gehl, it is the people that are vital in creating a successful public space. This is a contrast in the environmental experience created by the alienating, homogeneous concrete facades or Manzoni’s Bull Ring.

Fig 23:

The moss-covered sandstone of St Martins Church, aluminum roof and “living wall” of the café and the granite and marble floor of the square.

Fig 24:

Tree-like sculptures in the square made of weathered copper.

Fig 25:

Architectural forms which play with positive and negative space, implemented purely for aesthetic purposes.

It remains the responsibility of architects and planners to create within the large metropolis’s smaller zones or “neighborhoods” with their own distinct characteristics and orientations where a sense of community and belonging can develop. This creates a place where citizens can exist in harmony and contentment and feel secure in familiar surroundings and the latest redevelopment of the Bull Ring is a successful example of how urban planning has progressed, contrasting with large dysfunctional and anonymous inner city areas where crime and other social problems prevail. The redevelopment of the Bull Ring is an example of how architects can return inner city areas to their former functionality and character, that of a vibrant, harmonious and secure community, returning the control and occupancy of the area to the local community. In Lynch’s words, it is the “crossings of social meaning and recollected form that grow and elaborate in time. They link citizen and place, enhance the significance of everyday life, and reinforce the identity of group and self.’ (Parker/Long, 2004. pp: 38)

Fig 26:

View towards the St Martins church in 1959 and an insight into the every day life of the community before the Manzoni redevelopment

Bibliography

Jacobs, Jane (1992). Death and Life of Great American Cities Westminster: Vintage Books.

Foster, Andy (ND). Birmingham London: Yale University Press.

Parker/Long (2004). “The Mistakes of the Past”? Visual Narratives of Urban Decline and Regeneration.

Manchester: Manchester University press.

Lynch, Kevin (1960) Image of the City. Cambridge: MIT Press Gehl, Jan (2011). Life between buildings: Using public space. London: Island Press

Websites

Rose, Steve (2011) Contemporary Architecture: examples from the era. The Guardian Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/sep/11/contemporary-british-architecture-keybuildings?INTCMP=SRCH Last accessed: 20 January 2012. th

Walker, Peter (ND) Inside the inner Ring Road.

Available at: http://www.photobydjnorton.com/InsideTheInnerRingRoad.html Last accessed: 20th January 2012.

Borsi, Katharina (2012) Urban Design theory.

Available at: http://webct.nottingham.ac.uk/webct/urw/tp0.lc4130001/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct Last accessed: 24th January 2012.

Figures were sourced from original photos taken on in the area in January 2012 and http://www.photobydjnorton.com/Birmingham.html http://oldbirminghampictures.lefora.com/2009/07/19/the-bull-ring/ http://www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi