Beorma Quarter | Park Street | 27 fl | 107m | U/C

[woodhousen]

News release 13.12.07

Digbeth – the new Birmingham City

A major Kuwaiti international property company, Salhia Investments, together with established UK property developers are proposing an exciting city-centre project that will enhance Birmingham’s reputation as a world class city.

Digbeth, on the south eastern edge of Birmingham’s city centre, could witness one of the most exciting developments since the completion of the new Bullring and Selfridges building.

The city of Birmingham is undergoing a dramatic regeneration encouraged by the council’s quest for exciting, high quality developments including the Mailbox, the Cube and Moor Street. The Digbeth scheme, to be known as the “the Beorma Quarter”, will sit alongside these developments.

Salhia Investments has striven to preserve the historic nature of Digbeth whilst introducing a dynamic and vibrant piece of urban design into what is considered a rundown and under utilized area.

With a mixture of shops, cafes, office buildings and apartments for key-workers and the business community, he Beorma Quarter creates a sustainable community in the heart of Birmingham. It connects to the Bullring and the planned office development by Moor Street Station.

Inspired by the Barragon sculpture “Satellite City Towers” a grouping of tall buildings make a perfect counterpoint to the moulded form of the Selfridges building while providing the density to create a lively centre, forming a ‘city within a city’.

A public route, following the old ditch line, cuts through the site making a welcoming public passage designed to provide sunlight throughout the year with a central courtyard to enhance the Coldstore’s social and cultural use, making this the public heart of the scheme

The development supports existing communities and contributes to the creation of safe, liveable and mixed communities with good access to jobs and key services

Salhia Investments is proud to put forward this project and looks forward to engaging with council officers and members, the civic society, local businesses and residents to ensure this development has the very best design features to enhance the city centre and create a sustainable community.

[fruit&nut]

Wow!

Thanks for the news Woody.

It's about time someone did something with this tired corner.

Two instant questions spring to mind

- Is it all on the Selfridges side of the Railway?

- Does it mean the death of the old Music Hall opposite Selfridges?

Looks very exciting though. Hope they get the size and quality right.

[fruit&nut]

Actually looking at the first picture, I've jsut answered my first question with a Yes!

As for the second.......probably another yes!

Towers are reminiscent of your very own Snow Hill Plaza.......

[woodhousen]

answer one - no, it is not all the way upto the railway line as you can see in the 1st picture.... it it upto Well Lane.....

answer 2 - sort of, the frontage will be retained.......

[fruit&nut]

Originally Posted by woodhousen

answer one - no, it is not all the way upto the railway line as you can see in the 1st picture.... it it upto Well Lane.....

answer 2 - sort of, the frontage will be retained.......

That's good - I've no idea of the state of the rest of it!

Also shows that if they've thought that far this is more than conceptual!

Cheers Woodie!

Looks like Santa has come early!

[Bachy Soletanche]

Looks good to me, tower is far enough away as not to over shadow the church, good frontages retained*, and it's a bit of dump around there so, v. good from me.


* abit like Orion

[Steldemetriou]

This has come out of the blue!!

[Biosonic]

Blimey - I saw this on the icbirmingham article that someone posted and had a horrible feeling that it would be dross.

But looking at that the tower doesn't overbear the church, and I love the bubble on top of the Cold Store

I would like to see the tower redesigned though, but as a principle it gets the thumbs up from me

I have a feeling we should take it with a pinch of salt though. I like the name Boerma

[woodhousen]

apparently this has been on the cards and in discussion with the council in one stage or another for the last 6-12 months from what i hear but i too believe this should be taken with a pinch of salt..... im not liking the whole Kuwaiti link.....

[Brum Knows Best]

Looks very good

[feltip]

Just read it in the Birmingham Mail on the bus. Nearly choked.

Why don't you like the Kuwaiti link Woody?

Here is the Mail article for the thread:

Anger at re-development plans for historic old buildings in Birmingham's Bullring
Dec 20 2007

By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail


A GIANT Selfridges-like bubble and a 30-storey tower sprout from the top of two historic buildings under new plans today described as "terrible" by conservationists in Birmingham.

The derelict Digbeth Cold Store and Music Hall, next to the Bullring, are the latest Digbeth sites to be earmarked for major investment.

Both are subject to preservation orders, and architects have decided to build on top instead of developing around them.

Architect Trevor Horne told the city council's conservation advisory panel that the former music hall in Park Street would feature a 30-storey hotel rising above it in staged points, with only the original facade of the building left in place.

The Cold Store, a Grade II-listed former storage depot in Digbeth, would be revamped as a theatre or concert venue, topped by a glass bubble inspired by nearby Selfridges.

Mr Horne added that, although a "thoroughly modern" development, the buildings would reflect the history of the area, having been laid out along medieval lines.


Panel member Andrew Foster, of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, said: "There is much history in this area, but this plan seems to blast through the lot.


"Where a building has to be preserved like the Cold Store, to recreate the Selfridges bubble on top, is absolutely terrible.


"This architect has been encouraged to come forward with a plan, a vision for this city which is negative and destructive."


If approved, a hotel, apartments, shops, offices and a public space would surround Orwell Passage.


As well as being across the road from Selfridges, it is just yards from two major regeneration sites currently under development - the new Irish Quarter and Digbeth Coach Station.


The panel also complained that, at 30 storeys, the tower would overshadow St Martin's Church.


Mr Horne said that the plan was still at the development stage, and that was why the views of the conservation panel were being sought.


The scheme has been produced by Kuwaiti property company Salhia, which has promised further consultation with the city council, civic society, businesses and residents.


A spokesman for Salhia described the plan as "one of the most exciting developments since the completion of the Bullring and Selfridges."

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/...name_page.html

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

obviously if this were to be done with quality materials like some of the projects off Colmore Row it could enhance the area and bring life back to these buildings, times move on and I'd rather they be utilized in a positive way with retention of the main features than see them left to rot and eventually burnt down as we have seen al;ready...

My fears are examples like Orion... it's exciting to hear about the music venue or theatre, this could be positive and if the tower were the right quality could add some much needed height to gateway to Digbeth. Could be interesting this!!!

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

The problem is... so many of these buildings are supposedly worth keeping but those in charge of loking after them don't seem to find much use for them... if say the Grading could be used to the advantage of the people of the city then yes, that's cool, like for instance a museum or such lke but many of these places just sit there half empty and preventing inward development.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

With the exception of buildings like Grand Hotel which should be kept as is to be in keeping with the wider Colmore Row ambiance.

[CityGent]

Image #2 was the one used in the Evening Mail today to illustrate this story.

I have high hopes for the Cold Store, as a music venue it could follow the path of other former industrial-sites-turned-music venues like Camden's Roundhouse or Amsterdam's Melkweg.

[mikey23]

Providing this is done with a little bit of care, this could turn out to be awesome.

[Flogging Molly]

Creativity is the key for cities as young as Birmingham. In my eyes schemes like this dont come around very often so I hope those who dont like it are minimal!

Projects of such a size and originality offer the chance of domestic fame like Selfridges which attracts not just customers but so called spectators! Obviosuly the shape of the tower etc will be different but so far the concept desings look pretty good.

[mk61]

Anger at re-development plans for historic old buildings in Birmingham's Bullring
Dec 20 2007

By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail


A GIANT Selfridges-like bubble and a 30-storey tower sprout from the top of two historic buildings under new plans today described as "terrible" by conservationists in Birmingham.

The derelict Digbeth Cold Store and Music Hall, next to the Bullring, are the latest Digbeth sites to be earmarked for major investment.

Both are subject to preservation orders, and architects have decided to build on top instead of developing around them.

Architect Trevor Horne told the city council's conservation advisory panel that the former music hall in Park Street would feature a 30-storey hotel rising above it in staged points, with only the original facade of the building left in place.

The Cold Store, a Grade II-listed former storage depot in Digbeth, would be revamped as a theatre or concert venue, topped by a glass bubble inspired by nearby Selfridges.

Mr Horne added that, although a "thoroughly modern" development, the buildings would reflect the history of the area, having been laid out along medieval lines.


Panel member Andrew Foster, of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, said: "There is much history in this area, but this plan seems to blast through the lot.


"Where a building has to be preserved like the Cold Store, to recreate the Selfridges bubble on top, is absolutely terrible.


"This architect has been encouraged to come forward with a plan, a vision for this city which is negative and destructive."


If approved, a hotel, apartments, shops, offices and a public space would surround Orwell Passage.


As well as being across the road from Selfridges, it is just yards from two major regeneration sites currently under development - the new Irish Quarter and Digbeth Coach Station.


The panel also complained that, at 30 storeys, the tower would overshadow St Martin's Church.


Mr Horne said that the plan was still at the development stage, and that was why the views of the conservation panel were being sought.


The scheme has been produced by Kuwaiti property company Salhia, which has promised further consultation with the city council, civic society, businesses and residents.


A spokesman for Salhia described the plan as "one of the most exciting developments since the completion of the Bullring and Selfridges."

While not wanting to cast this question through extreme examples - which would the conservation council prefer, a living breathing culturally vibrant and viable city, or a collection of the preserved corpses of interesting buildings now pretty much beyond any sort of useful function?

There is no question, protecting our architectural heritage is important, but this is a modern city, not a museum.

And is any part of this block really worth saving anyway? Really?

[smysticed]

I really like the look of the 'bubble' atop the Cold Storage Building, and the retained frontage in the designs there don't look tacky at all IMO. However, if the tower is rubbish this would probably ruin it. I hope they introduce some active frontages to the area as Selfridge does kill things off a bit at ground level.

[Erebus555]

I can't really make it out too well but whilst I like the design of the scheme, I'm not too sure about the tower. It'll contrast Rotunda, Selfridges and the church and I'm not sure in a good way either! I like the way they incorporate the George Makepeace store and the Cold Storage area.

Overall, very welcome and interesting but I have reservations over the tower.