http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/Suffolk-street-day.jpg

http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/00-V-Tower-copy.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=596

2006-05-14 >

Arena Central To Be A UK First

The decade long Arena Central saga in Birmingham city centre looks close to finally coming to fruition after years of uncertainty.

Having been surrounded by numerous rumours recently, Steve Evens, the head of Miller Developments has finally broken the silence to give Skyscrapernews.com an exclusive update on how the development is progressing.

Following a number of rumours stating that a final height of the tower has been decided upon, it would appear that this is still not the case. However, Miller is still committed to maximising consent for the tower which currently stands at over 180m.

Correspondence between Miller Developments and Birmingham city council continue to be close and positive strides are being made. Although the height of the tower is yet to be decided, it would appear a final design of between 40 and 50 storeys has been adopted. A number of high-spec renderings have been drawn up in an effort to ensure that all views of the tower are of the highest quality and it relates properly to its surroundings.

Steven Evens stated "the calibre of the tower will be higher than anything currently in the city and also in Manchester".

The design of the tower is to be a UK first and was likened to "a tube of toothpaste, squeezed in at one place and bulging out at others".

After a long hiatus, the pace at which this development has been progressing has suddenly increased in recent months. Arena Central Ltd, a joint venture between Miller Developments and Andy Ruhan's Bridgehouse Capital attended this years MIPM conference in Canes to market the scheme to the international office market.

Also, in an atempt to have more influence in the development of Arena Central, Birmingham city council purchased the former TSB bank house, the last remaining stake of Hampton Trust in the Arena Central project.

A formal application should finally be in sooner than later and planning permission is expected to be received before the end of the year. Once approved, work is expected to start quickly.

I dont understand the headline. How will it be a 'UK first'?

"the calibre of the tower will be higher than anything currently in the city and also in Manchester".

...and also in Manchester. LOL No rivalry there!

Thats fair to say. But dont believe Birmingham isnt doing anything with itself :)

Arena Central will be located opposite Orion 1 in this image. Orion 2 is also due to start within the next 2 weeks. Aswell as rumoured twin 125m residential towers for New Street just behind orion.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c258/cargohold/Orion--HCT.jpg

Arena Central will be opposite the 100m alpha tower just to the right of Orion the tower U/C in this picture

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/roadhog/DSCF2262.jpg

Not to mention, Birmingham is very cosmopolitan and they are trying to use the exisitng architecture and work it into the new developments which is a major plus :)

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c258/cargohold/Orion-Tower.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c258/cargohold/John-Bright-St-1.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c258/cargohold/John-Bright-ST-2.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c258/cargohold/Orion--HCT.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c258/cargohold/John-Bright-ST-2.jpg
Those two pics are very impressive!

Btw Accura, your avatar is starting to freak me out!

:cheers:

I like the idea that its going to be built soon after approval, but that isnt usually the case in this country though is it?

Great news. I visited Brum 2 months ago. It has nice buildings and the Jewlery Quarter is nice but it does not seem like a city of 960,000 to me. It has a nice Indian road too. Lots of exotic Indian stores.

Brum really needs news within the next few weeks on some project. Its so dry after a few months of constant news.

Brum really needs news within the next few weeks on some project. Its so dry after a few months of constant news.

Be patient, our time is nearly here!

Its been "nearly here" for the last 7 years on these forums ;)

Its been "nearly here" for the last 7 years on these forums ;)

It is a $1 billion project, they don't happen in British cities every week! This isn't Dubai, and Birmingham has got to get this project right for the next generation!

It could've been right 3-4 years ago. Brum had stalled since HCT and AC were proposed. Its picking up now again, but I cant help feel weve lost the edge and others have gained it.

Im just happy there are a few more towers coming through now.

190m?
175m
152m
142m
122m
110m
100m

Plus a few others 100m+ planned else where in the city and the mysterious tower which is due to be bigger then all, its all starting to pick up again.

It is a $1 billion project, they don't happen in British cities every week! This isn't Dubai, and Birmingham has got to get this project right for the next generation!

Good, because at its current rate of progress, its only the next generation that will actually get to use it.....

Ohhh. Bitchy ;)

The tower will apparently be up to or over the 100m mark by late 2007 which means a construction stat of either late 2006 or very early 2007.

Ohhh. Bitchy ;)

The tower will apparently be up to or over the 100m mark by late 2007 which means a construction stat of either late 2006 or very early 2007.

And when exactly are we gonna see some pictures/renders of this supposed building along with a construction timetable?

And when exactly are we gonna see some pictures/renders of this supposed building along with a construction timetable?

During June ............ 2006, just in case you were going to ask!!

Thats next month CrazyMac by they way ;)

Im hoping for a few more press releases during June about other major porjects aswell.

Thats next month CrazyMac by they way ;)

Im hoping for a few more press releases during June about other major porjects aswell.

Pffft...its always 'next month' and construction is always due start 'next year'...

Show me bricks and mortar, glass and steel on site, then i'll be impressed.. :)

You're absolutely correct.

Some might be amazed to know Birminghams current tallest is the BT tower at 152m (502ft) and its tallest habitable tower is 122m (400ft) now - 5 years ago ... :( :( :(


Novermber, 2000
News: Birmingham tower could top 1000 feet

Birmingham: On Sunday, November 12th, Birmingham City Council revealed it's intentions to create a mid-Manhattan in the Broad Street/Paradise Circus area of the city.

The 50-storey City Tower, 44-storey Holloway Circus Tower and twin 30-storey New Paradise Centre are already proposed for the area, but plans are now afoot for a cluster of towering office/residential buildings that could reach 60-storeys/1000 ft. in height!

Jones Lang LaSalle is currently undertaking a feasibility study on the proposals, which could ignite a race to construct the UK's tallest building.

At present, the 774 ft. One Canada Square in London holds the title, but Birmingham's 805 ft. City Tower promises to top that when it is completed in around 2003-4. London already has plans for a 1200 ft. tower at London Bridge, as well as the 1000 ft. Skyhouse, so Birmingham will have to produce something pretty special to clinch the title.

Arena Central has been going for years and not much news has come out about it since the 9/11 attacks. I am really starting to lose faith in the development and I believe it has been hyped up. However, they could be doing what they do in Dubai and hype it up and then instead give something a lot better than what was first expected.

The Paradise Circus development is different. It looks interesting from the initial sketches however I feel a tall tower will be protested against and will not go ahead. It is in close proximity to the Council House, Gas Hall and the Town Hall. These towers would take the attraction away from these amazing old buildings. As someone said, Manchester's buildings integrate together, Birmingham's dont. If towers are built by the Council House then we are just simply carrying on this trend.

Me and a few mates who are keen architecture fans went around Birmingham looking at what would look good where. We decided (not like our decision makes a difference) that Broad Street would be best for a row of highrise buildings and anything near the Rotunda which excedes the hiehgt of the Rotunda is a complete no no. However, we feel that if a tower was to be constructed on New Street Station (which is a possibilty), and if this tower is considerably taller than the Rotunda then this could create an amazing backdrop for the Rotunda and the skyline would look great. We felt that older buildings are buildings which give a sense of the past should be kept and/or constructed along the canals and around the city centre. These were just small decisions and we felt this would give Birmingham a different feel. It's about time Birmingham appealed to major businesses again and got rid of those concrete monstrosities (can't spell =[)

There will be twin towers at NSS apparently. Broad Street and Paradise circus is quite obviosuly the best place for high-rises, its just a case of getting them built.

As long as Stephenson tower gets demolished at NSS, I'm happy. It's so ugly.

I am really not sure about Paradise Circus. If they can incorporate old architecture with the ultramodern (a little like Burlington Hotel on New Street) then it could be promising. It's a shame that so much of Birmingham was destroyed in WW2. The city witnessed two of the worst architectural periods of Birminghams history at that point: The loss of great old buildings, the construction of ugly concrete... things.

I get upset with the amazing buildings that were demolished in every city in the country, but for some reason Birmingham upsets me the most. Just to see what the bastards did to it after the war. It was like saying ok uve survived the war but were gonna knock u down anyway.

The birmingham library, stephenson place, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc

Pffft...its always 'next month' and construction is always due start 'next year'...

Show me bricks and mortar, glass and steel on site, then i'll be impressed.. :)

There is already commitment to this site, the 19 storey Centenery Plaza apartment building is already up. When a start is made on demolishing the former Central Television Studios soon, then you can safely say the project is under way, & the development will be the UK's most spectacular office, retail & apartment scheme after London's Canary Wharf.

Lets hope so FLD.

Final confirmed height is 175m, reported today in Estates Gazette.

This is exceedingly good news for Birmingham, which is currently losing out to Manchester in the skyscraper stakes! :)

Carrying on from wjfox2002, it's going to have a very unusual roof feature.

This isn't necessarily the final design, but it gives an idea of what a 175m tower will look like compared with Birmingham's current tallest.

Click here (http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?19894101) if the image below doesn't load.


http://i6.tinypic.com/14nz3a1.jpg

That diagram needs an update ;) wheres our almighty Orion :hahaha:

Yep, very good news indeed. Should here some more later this week. I also shall point out, Brum is'nt losing out to Manchester ... its giving them a head start ;) Brum will come into its own 07/08.

Its got some biggies lined up.

Anything over 250 meters ? I doubt it...cause of the CAA rulings.

Anything over 250 meters ? I doubt it...cause of the CAA rulings.

And it just won't fit in anyway. It would dwarf anything else and stand out really strangely. You have to blend things and take baby steps before we get them lot in. Also, someone like John Reid or Ken Livingston would get a bit pissed off with the second city having something taller than the capital city.

Anything over 250 meters ? I doubt it...cause of the CAA rulings.

Huh? :dunno:

P.S

Members of Birmingham International Airport are to appear at "Cinderella Cities" conference in Birmingham from the 21st to 22nd June. There's talk of allowing a highrise zone within Birmingham City Centre which could allow skyscrapers much taller then what we are seeing at the moment. Cities represented include, Birmingham, Chicago, Frankfurt, Rotterdam, Milan, Lyon and Barcelona.

Key talking points -

*Tall buildings - symbols of urban transformation; density, planning, design, and viability.
*The Public Realm - a catalyst for urban renaissance - place making.
*Housing - building sustainable communities; the key to urban vitality.
*Culture - celebrating cornerstones of communmity; embracing diversity.
*Transportation - sustainability
*Leadership - cities by chance or by choice; development; competitiveness.

and

Skyscrapers and Skylines – Symbols of Urban Transformation

The signature of a modern city is its skyline. High-rise buildings are transforming the face of European cities. This session will examine how tall buildings affect the economic fortunes of cities like Chicago, birthplace of the skyscraper, and others. Are high-rises the inevitable consequence of density? Challenges of realizing tall buildings from planning, design and technology to mixing uses and attracting finance will be explored. How do iconic tall buildings promote change and urban rejuvenation?

sudghusrnh! Martin G has the new renders!

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=646

2006-07-04 > Second City Skyline Gets Second Chance

After years of apparently stalling in its commitment to building a skyscraping skyline, has Birmingham been handed a second chance?
In 1998, the city Birmingham publicly unveiled its ambition to become a skyscraper city. Naming itself as a "Mini-Manhattan" and launching prospects of 1,000ft skyscrapers, Birmingham was the place to be for developers with towering ambitions.
However, the months following Sept 11th, skyscrapers were no longer the fashionable assets cities wanted. Birmingham high-rise ambitions were watered down and the final nail in the coffin came with the publication of "High Places", Birmingham's very own but very restrictive high-rise policy.
This either resulted in the long delay in towering projects such as the 8 year old Arena Central Tower, the mass reduction in height of other buildings as was the case for Beethams Holloway Tower or all new towers built up to a strict height limit.
It would appear however, that the fortunes of skyscrapers in the city are about to change if a number or press releases and public announcements are to be believed. If this is the case, the week of 24th June 2006 could be the date that Birmingham's towering ambitions are set back on track.
Recent news reports stating that Birmingham city council were planning a shake up of the cities out-of-fashion high rise policy was confirmed this week by Clive Dutton, director of planning and regeneration at Birmingham city council.
"We're reassessing our tall building policy in light of the interest in them in recent years. We're looking at where we want to cluster them and how tall is tall?" admits Dutton.
The assessment comes as part of the wider 10 year master plan for the 2,000 acre city centre area inside the cities ring road. However, the cities stance on skyscrapers will not be known until autumn at the earliest although sources within the industry would suggest the city council will focus high-rise development around key city nodes, such as New Street Station, and Holloway and Lancaster Circus.
In response the city council may be in the process of changing their high-rise policy, wannabe skyscraper developers will still be limited by nation wide Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) height limits. With Birmingham city centre being located on a 110m sandstone ridge, and a national CAA height limit imposed at 242m, prospects of building higher than 130m would appear tricky at least, but not impossible.
Speaking last week in the cities Rep Theatre, world renowned architect Eric Kuhne unveiled his vision for the land mark tower to be located at Arena Centre: Arena Square Tower. Having been recently contracted to draw up designs for the tower at Arena Central, Kulne spoke of a tower unlike that of any tower in currently in the city, and the tallest tower outside the capital. On the face of it, many people may ask the question of how this is possible?
The answer lies in the second major revelation this week which has the potential to restart the towering ambitions of Birmingham: the confirmation that Birmingham International Airport (BIA) on behalf of the CAA now withdraw any objections to Arena Squares height following discussions with owners Miller Developments and Bridgehouse Capital. A committee report issued this week goes on to state...
"..having submitted an aerodrome safeguarding impact assessment ... the assessment has been considered by Birmingham International Airport, in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority. The airport have now written to confirm that the assessment demonstrates that a tower of up to 175m would be acceptable in aerodrome safeguarding ... They have therefore withdrawn their previous objection to the tower."
Having taken such a route, the BIA and the CAA have now created a president [sic] on how high Birmingham skyscrapers can be built. Towers such as Arena Square tower and Richardson Cordwells Broad Street Tower now stand the best chance of being built than they ever have in the past, and this in itself could trigger yet another boom in towering proposals in Birmingham.
With a number of towers in the city either in planning or approved ranging from 80-175m in height, Birmingham is building itself the skyline it wants rather than that set by diktat that saw the height of Holloway Circus Tower slashed. BCC and BIA are sending out the most positive signals to skyscraper schemes to date. A very restrictive high-rise policy has been called in and reviewed, and the local airport has decided to withdraw its objection to the tallest tower proposal in the city.
Will this move, however late it may be, attract other developers wishing to build big in the city or are things as good as they are going to get with Birmingham's High-rise vision? One thing is for sure however, Birmingham's skyline is changing.

You know, just when I was marvelling at how 'British' the city of Cape Town looks, I realized that this Birmingham development below...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/roadhog/DSCF2262.jpg

...is sort of like The Icon development in Cape Town...

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/3784/icon18bq.jpg

Anyways, I didn't mean to go off-topic, but I will have to look into Birmingham, if it's anything like beautiful Cape Town.

-thryve

Birmingham Arena Central plans move forward

Lisa Pilkington 16/01/2007 10:45

Arena Central, Birmingham


Birmingham Council cabinet members are to meet next Monday to grant a new lease for the city's £400m Arena Central development.

The long awaited scheme, which is on a 7.6-acre site between Broad Street, Holliday Street and Suffolk Street, has consent for more than 2m sq ft of offices, residential, retail and leisure.

Birmingham council is the freeholder of the majority of the site. The new lease, to be granted on the 22nd January, will enable developers Arena Central Developments (ACD) to bring the scheme forward.

ACD is a joint venture between Miller Developments and Andy Ruhan's Bridgehouse Capital.

Isle of Man-based developer Dandara is to develop Arena Tower, the 50-storey centrepiece of the development, which will sit next to the existing Alpha Tower.

Cabinet Member for Regeneration Councillor Ken Hardeman, said: "It's vital that we do all we can to enable the developers to bring the scheme to fruition."

The council was advised by GBR Property Consultants.

I got an email from Miller that they are finallising plans. Finally that's one part of the Birmingham laughing stock dissipating in the city bashing forums.

Oh dear :ohno:

Believe it when I see it.

Can we please all take a deep breath ...

Count to 3.

1


2


3

http://www.pipers.co.uk/pm/model.php?id=118


Worth the wait? Was it bollocks. Try waiting 10 years for this lump of shit. :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash:

Where will this be located in relation to other landmark towers? Are there any skyline renderings made yet?

I don't think it's that bad...looks like a stylish version of London's Broadgate Tower!

Where will this be located in relation to other landmark towers? Are there any skyline renderings made yet?

This is a deisgn which one of our forumers made. 10 times better then the professional.

http://tinypic.com/169fgn7.jpg

Original design.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/117ArenaCentralTower_pic1.jpg

Well I think the current design certainly looks better than the original.

I think it looks a bit better than the Beetham tower and Eastgate in Manchester. Plus it has a spire too. But not as good as I had expected with all that hype.

The original was a stunner. This is just awful. The angles are all wrong, the views are going to be terrible compared to what they could've been. There's no soar factor. Its fat and ugly. I could go on.

Yes, uill be happy when it gets built, yes its not as bad as im making out, but is it worth 10 years of torture? No! Its rubbish. I might change my mind come newer renders but for now its such a flop.

Ohwell, least we have Pinnacle coming soon.

Must admit, I was expecting something a lot more "iconic" and distinctive. This just seems rather plain and underwhelming.

I mean... it looks okay - but considering the NINE YEAR wait, this should have been something spectacular. The height is pretty unremarkable too. It barely reaches 150m from that model. Manchester and Leeds will easily beat this. There can be no denying this is a disappointment.

Birmingham forumers, you have my sympathy.

The original was much better, kind of like a toned down, understated Taipei-101 (maybe!) but this is just another mediocre project for the so-called second city

Was that deign rejected by Dubai? It doesn't look that high quality to me...

Where will this be located in relation to other landmark towers? Are there any skyline renderings made yet?

No renderings yet but when the planning application for the tower is submitted, we should see some shots from long distance points to show the visual impact this tower will have on the surroundings and the city centre as a whole.

its a shame, the original tower was so much better. its a skyscraper still, but not as good as it could have been.

We'll still have to see if this is the confirmed design to be submitted for planning. For all we know, this could have undergone yet another redesign.

The original design was totally unique, tall and striking actually. Such a long time ago......oh well

A nice building, if I was just glancing around at new proposals.. but this is meant to be the saviour of Birmingham's skyline contest and its a let down!

The original design of AC would of been magnificant, and unlike anything else in the UK, this is sub-standard to today's designs.. its generic and could of been designed for any plot in any city of the UK...

Such a pity..

Tons of renderings and a video -

http://www.civicarts.com/civicarts.php (scroll down for the video)


http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/Suffolk-street-day.jpg


http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/00-V-Tower-copy.jpg

The night time renders do look superb but I think it's just too short and too messy. It doesn't quite tower over Alpha in the video, something that the old design did best. :(

What I can't understand is why it's taking them so long to reveal the official height.

What I can't understand is why it's taking them so long to reveal the official height.

It's a conspiracy! They won't reveal the height because they secretly intend to have it surpass the height of the Burj Dubai! :nuts:

I do like this design though. It'll be a nice addition to Birmingham's skyline... although the colour of the cladding has a bit of a dated 70's look about it.

The base is hideous. Certainly not what we were promised. Tower design looks AMAZING. Height looks diddly squat.

From what's being said in the UK forum, it sounds like the official height will be 499ft... 1ft short of being a skyscraper.

But it will be a new tallest for Brum ?

It won't even be taller than the BT Tower, which is the city's current tallest structure (see pic below).

Given the 10-year wait for this proposal it seems rather pathetic to be honest. It was meant to be 245m originally, then it was cut down to 175m, and now this.


http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/155BTTower_pic1.jpg

Damn.

Nope its not even going to be Birminghams tallest now. :lol:

Fucking useless.

P.S Think we need a new name for this thread.

Thinking along the lines. "Cop out joke tower planned for Birmingham"

How I wish Martin G's design was submitted to the planners instead of this big brown paper bag. :ohno: 499ft is quite funny, lol.

499ft is quite funny, lol.

Ironic, isn't it :D

Of all the heights they could have picked, this one takes the piss...

well confirmed at 150m with 712 APARTMENTS. YES 712. How fucking squat and fat do they want this tower to be considering 4 floors (2-25m) are public domain.

Im already put of buying a spot in this place. most expensive in the city for what? a student style dorm in the cities 3rd tallest tower. Erm ... Marketers dream. :lol:

Put this into perspective. Each floor is 3m tall. Red Apple in Rotterdam is 128m with 38 storeys. This is 150m with 50 storeys.

Red Apple will hold just over 200 apartments. 500 less then V Tower. I know Eric Kuhne is fat but his just taking the short ass fatty piss with this.

What a pathetic outcome... one of the most disappointing proposals in the UK.

Said before, but this is one hell of a disappointing short squatty ass ground scraper, I'm detesting this more and more by the day and the cheesy cliches promoting it as Birmingham's tallest is an absolute joke. Just drives me insane! to make matters worse its a fat arsed building making it look less elegant and more grotesque. It already looks a monstosity and is facing the bloody wrong way round, the angles messed up and what dreadful awkward views this will create, the original was a solid cracking design standing side by side with the Alpha tower whilst towering over it, this looks a disastrous sorry excuse for a proposal that should be rejected asap and back to the drawing board. World Class, yeah right!

exciting

Is this a fucking joke!! I read about this projekt ages ago and they have spoiled it totally. I feel sorry for you Brums....

Well, in contrast to all the pissing and moaning, I actually think the design is quite nice. I realize it was meant to be something much greater, but this is still a good proposal... I mean yeesh... Its still a skyscraper(499ft doesn't make it any less a skyscraper. Gimme a break!) with some pretty striking renderings.

I really like this tower.

Some pics of the V building:

http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/Cam01-copy.jpg

http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/00-Navigation-Street.jpg

http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/Victoria-square-fountain-hi.jpg

http://www.civicarts.com/images/ASB/Cam02-copy.jpg

I really like this design. I don't care much for the history of the site it's on, I think it's more appropriate to have a tower of this height than something rediculously tall. Fits nicely!

Subliving.

V Building plans submitted

Jun 19 2007

By Steve Pain, Deputy Business Editor


Plans for the V Building - the long awaited tower at the huge Arena Central development in Birmingham city centre - have finally been submitted for approval by developers Dandara.

If the proposals get the green light - hopefully within the next three months - work on the project could start later this year, with completion expected sometime in 2012. A tower at Arena Central has been subject to industry discussion since the late 1990s.

Designed by world-class architect Eric Kuhne, the proposed landmark has already attracted international interest from the property world when designs were unveiled at Mipim, the industry's annual showcase in Cannes, earlier this year.

The V Building will be 50 storeys high and measure 150 metres, making it 30 metres higher than any other occupied building in the city. Its name derives from the elongated 'V' that will be built into the external elevations and the scissor-like roof that will slice the Birmingham sky.

The building's exterior will be made of latticed glass with luminescent qualities, enabling it to shine in the day and glow at night.

Martin Clancy, managing director of Dandara, development partner to Arena Central Developments, said: "Birmingham has supported tremendous growth over the past decade, proving its status as an investment hotspot and a city capable of sustaining significant continued regeneration and development.

"It is estimated that more than £13 billion worth of regeneration is planned in the coming decade - we want to be part of that growth."

He added: "A defining feature of Dandara as a company is our commitment to working closely with cities and to delivery.

"This ensures that our schemes are innovative in a way that meets a city's aspirations as well as the vision of local people, and we have the capability to quickly drive a construction programme forward with our in-house teams. This is the approach that we are bringing to the V Building.

"Our dialogue with the city began a year ago and we have since built a strong relationship with Birmingham City Council, working closely with Mike Whitby, Ken Hardeman, Clive Dutton and the whole planning team.

"From the outset we shared a vision to create a signature 21st century building that would make a bold statement for Birmingham and, one year on as we submit planning, we are confident that this is what we have achieved."

Located at the south eastern edge of the 7.6 acre Arena Central scheme, the proposed building will feature bars, restaurants and 706 residential apartments served by a resident's library and private reception rooms. On the roof will be a sky bar and an observatory from where people can look out over the entire city.

Coun Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "The dramatic V Building is further confirmation of our intention to build a global city.

"Dandara has a strong history of creating innovative and high quality mixeduse schemes across major UK cities.

"There is no doubt that innovative and exciting buildings help to drive forward regeneration, acting as a catalyst for further development and investment.

"The success of the Mailbox, Brindleyplace and Bullring has proven our ability to create schemes that make a real impact. We look forward to the new phase of development at Arena Central and the potential this will bring to rejuvenate the city centre."

Arena Central Developments is a joint venture between Miller Developments and Bridgehouse Capital. Dandara is development partner.

Nigel Bell, development director at Miller Developments, said: "Arena Central is recognised as one of the largest, and most strategically located, regeneration schemes in the city, with the potential to inject more than £400 million into Birmingham."

For fucks sake - please dont post the Birmingham Posts article - its utter tripe! They havent got a clue.

WOW. i thought this was just a scam....

i've waited ten years just for this?! :bash:

short, fat, boring, uninspired piece of shite...and even my eight year old nephew could've come up with a better design. a disgrace! :moods:

A better article from last week! .

Birmingham reaches for sky with V BuildingKevin O'Connor

As Dublin agonises over high hise, Irish-founded company Dandara has applied to build Birmingham's tallest building, at 50 storeys.

After the IRA bombed Birmingham, the city moved quickly to restore both its built fabric and community relations.

The devastated city centre was given priority treatment in urban renewal, becoming an example when a city - and its people - defy both killers and planning pessimists.

The renewal of The Bullring was a starting point which kick-started Birmingham to greater ambitions. As put by planning expert Michael Parkinson: "A great First Act - now let's see the Second Act!"

A generation on, the momentum continues as the city stretches upwards and outwards - especially upwards - to rival Chicago and Manhattan in terms of sculpted, high rise buildings.

The Second Act was unveiled at a major property show in Cannes earlier this year, with a display of high-rise projects which attracted serious money.

No prizes for philanthropy: as soon as projects like these take life, the value increases exponentially.

Project the market worth - £100 million of local land twinned with, say, £150 million investor capital - and you have £450 million worth of real estate including homes, offices and leisure outlets.

Space in the sky costs nothing, once you strip out the initial purchase and development costs of the site, returns come literally out of thin air, as the projects reach for the sky with planning approval. A brick costs the same whether its on the ground floor or the 30th floor.

"The sky's the limit!" has become Birmingham's mantra.

The V Building has a Churchillian two-fingers-design. It was developed by Dandara, a company owned by a clutch of Dublin building graduates.

The V Building will be a glowing icon of tinted glass reaching to 50 storeys and providing a mix of residential, office, restaurants, crèches and gyms. In impact, it has been compared to the Sears Roebuck skyscraper in Chicago.

"The glass will shine in the day and glow at night," says MD of Dandara, Martin Clancy, whose previous designs for apartments in Glasgow Harbour had copper cladding.

Clancy worked closely with city planners to deliver this: "It will mark the regeneration of Broad Street, Queensway and Bridge Street (re-zoned Arena Central), about two million sq ft of development.

"It's been talked about for 10 years and now we're getting there."

At 150m high, with a solar observatory and restaurant on top of 600 apartments, the

V Building aims to become an architectural marker on the 7.6-acre site around the old Central TV Centre and complete in three years . An ebullient motivator who likes to tease out ideas over good wines, Clancy waited until he could get the services of architect Eric Kuhne, who designed Darling Harbour in Sydney.

Clancy gave him a target to design the the best and brightest building for a futuristic Birmingham. For Kuhne, Clancy was pushing an open door: "I've always wanted to do a building which would look different from every angle and at different times of the day and night."

With luminescent glass on a grid system and a sloping roof, the V Building will, in the words of one of its political promoters, set a marker for the built environment in Britain.

"I expect to see Birmingham transformed by iconic buildings," says Mike Whitby, leader of the council whose political clout helped power the entire regeneration concept under the working title of Advantage West Midlands. This razed surrounding areas (in the design sense) and allocated renewal projects.

Soon, Birmingham will reach for the skies with four or five tall buildings and point up hinterland ambitions. Meanwhile Wolverhampton has committed to renewal of £200 million, Hereford £175 million and Stoke-on-Trent £40million.

"What's good for Birmingham is good for Britain," says Whitby, with a nod to social benefits of regeneration in a part of the UK which was blighted by the decline of the heavy industries.

Now the capital of the Black Country plans to erode its legacy with swathes of new urban landscape, business parks and residences.

Stretching from Wolverhampton to Stoke, with Birmingham as design hub of a modernist transformation, the next eight years or so will see billions of sterling, yen (and some Irish euro) transform the built environment

As for the V Building, it's a sort of iconic marker in the middle, rather like the space rocket which defines Cape Canaveral. This week, the project advances, with the formal application for planning. Depending on the result, it may be open to investors later in the year.

well confirmed at 150m with 712 APARTMENTS. YES 712. How fucking squat and fat do they want this tower to be considering 4 floors (2-25m) are public domain.

Im already put of buying a spot in this place. most expensive in the city for what? a student style dorm in the cities 3rd tallest tower. Erm ... Marketers dream. :lol:

Put this into perspective. Each floor is 3m tall. Red Apple in Rotterdam is 128m with 38 storeys. This is 150m with 50 storeys.

Red Apple will hold just over 200 apartments. 500 less then V Tower. I know Eric Kuhne is fat but his just taking the short ass fatty piss with this.

Rotterdam has a minimum floor height for highrises. And 712 apartments in a 150 meter tower?
I am curious about the floorplans! How much floor space per apartment is that?

Looks great.

i really like this design

Great building guys, fits the location well and I'm glad to see that they've put a bit of creative thought into the design and cladding... looking forward to watching this one rise (just get it started already!!)

Name of this thread needs to be changed as this has gained approval. WOO HOO!

^ Fixed. Am I right in thinking it's actually 147m to roof; 150m including facade overrun?

Will it offically be a skyscraper then? Or 3M short. If so, HAHAH unluckey brummies !

interesting design

^^ yeah. design is really great. i like it :)

^ Fixed. Am I right in thinking it's actually 147m to roof; 150m including facade overrun?

Yep your correct!

152 metres to the facade overrun actually.

Anyway, construction is set to start in March. Although that can change...

Does facade overrun count?

Does a spire? If so then yes.

It's part of the structure of the building, which has an impact on the skyline (however small!), so yes it counts. I've modified the thread title.

???