Bachy Soletanche
May 15th, 2006, 10:29 AM
Arena Central To Be A UK Fist
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, Eve Stevens, the head of Wendy 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 design and shape of the tower has not been decided upon, it would appear that this is no longer the case. In fact what is hotly anticipated as the most unique design for a tower anywhere in the UK has finally been confirmed. The new proposals now suggest a structure designed in the shape of a giant arm complete with clenched fist. This, the architects felt, best encapsulated the feelings and attitudes of Birmingham and its citizens as a whole particularly with regard to their tireless efforts in recapturing and regaining the race to build tall over rival provincial cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, all of whom have seemingly far overtaken the second city with ambitious proposals of their own planned or under construction.
Prior to this latest revised proposal, Birmingham developers had been confronted with endless setbacks as a result of draconian - and some would say unnecessary - new rulings by the CAA which limited all new building schemes in the city to no more than 130 metres. Arena Central was a victim of such a climbdown and at one point it was feared the project would never get off the ground.
Eve Stevens 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 fist decked out in the Union Jack and was likened to "defiant gesture of Birmingham's intention - as an aggressive-thinking forward-looking British city - to conquer and reclaim the skyscraper city crown from other rival places such as Manchester and Leeds."
The apex [fist] of the tower is to have four observation pods - one in each finger - plus a large skybar and restaurant situated in the thumb - more than 580 feet above the Birmingham streets.
The dramatic 176 metre structure will be illuminated by a state-of-the-art internal floodlighting system during the night and also be specially luminescent during the day even in poor light as a result of the entire outer skin of the arm being covered in photo-sensitive solar receptors which will make the arm appear to glow vibrantly when seen from a distance.
The Birmingham Fist will be a startlingly unique addition to the city's ever-changing skyline and it is anticipated that the 400 apartments within the arm will be snapped up as soon as design draft orders have been finalised and published. This building will at long last provide a potent new symbol of the forward-looking Birmingham that its citizens can be proud of for many years to come.
After a long hiatus, the pace at which this development has been progressing has suddenly increased to feverish levels. Arena Central Ltd, a joint venture between Wendy Miller Developments and Andrew Pandy's Bridgeover Troublewater Trust attended this years MIMP PIMP conference in a garden shed in Norton Canes DIY Centre to market the scheme to the international office market.
Also, in an attempt to have more influence in the development of the Arena Central Fist Tower, Birmingham city council has now prepared draft orders to paint the whole of the Broad Street / Paradise Circus corner in blue, red and white, to prepare for the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
A formal application should finally be in and planning permission is expected to be received before the end of the year. Once approved, work is expected to start quickly.
This is how the new structure might look on the city skyline:
http://tinypic.com/znlvr4.jpg
http://tinypic.com/znlv6w.jpg
(nuff repec to Martin G, who's fault this all is.)
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, Eve Stevens, the head of Wendy 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 design and shape of the tower has not been decided upon, it would appear that this is no longer the case. In fact what is hotly anticipated as the most unique design for a tower anywhere in the UK has finally been confirmed. The new proposals now suggest a structure designed in the shape of a giant arm complete with clenched fist. This, the architects felt, best encapsulated the feelings and attitudes of Birmingham and its citizens as a whole particularly with regard to their tireless efforts in recapturing and regaining the race to build tall over rival provincial cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, all of whom have seemingly far overtaken the second city with ambitious proposals of their own planned or under construction.
Prior to this latest revised proposal, Birmingham developers had been confronted with endless setbacks as a result of draconian - and some would say unnecessary - new rulings by the CAA which limited all new building schemes in the city to no more than 130 metres. Arena Central was a victim of such a climbdown and at one point it was feared the project would never get off the ground.
Eve Stevens 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 fist decked out in the Union Jack and was likened to "defiant gesture of Birmingham's intention - as an aggressive-thinking forward-looking British city - to conquer and reclaim the skyscraper city crown from other rival places such as Manchester and Leeds."
The apex [fist] of the tower is to have four observation pods - one in each finger - plus a large skybar and restaurant situated in the thumb - more than 580 feet above the Birmingham streets.
The dramatic 176 metre structure will be illuminated by a state-of-the-art internal floodlighting system during the night and also be specially luminescent during the day even in poor light as a result of the entire outer skin of the arm being covered in photo-sensitive solar receptors which will make the arm appear to glow vibrantly when seen from a distance.
The Birmingham Fist will be a startlingly unique addition to the city's ever-changing skyline and it is anticipated that the 400 apartments within the arm will be snapped up as soon as design draft orders have been finalised and published. This building will at long last provide a potent new symbol of the forward-looking Birmingham that its citizens can be proud of for many years to come.
After a long hiatus, the pace at which this development has been progressing has suddenly increased to feverish levels. Arena Central Ltd, a joint venture between Wendy Miller Developments and Andrew Pandy's Bridgeover Troublewater Trust attended this years MIMP PIMP conference in a garden shed in Norton Canes DIY Centre to market the scheme to the international office market.
Also, in an attempt to have more influence in the development of the Arena Central Fist Tower, Birmingham city council has now prepared draft orders to paint the whole of the Broad Street / Paradise Circus corner in blue, red and white, to prepare for the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
A formal application should finally be in and planning permission is expected to be received before the end of the year. Once approved, work is expected to start quickly.
This is how the new structure might look on the city skyline:
http://tinypic.com/znlvr4.jpg
http://tinypic.com/znlv6w.jpg
(nuff repec to Martin G, who's fault this all is.)