Beorma Quarter | Park Street | 27 fl | 107m | App.

[Bachy Soletanche]

This the right street?

[feltip]

No, the one behind that. Parallel to that.

[smysticed]

I'm assuming the hight in the title is just an estimation? But the floor height in the Snow Hill Hotel is a lot higher than that, if this was the same as Snowhill in terms of floor height it would be over 100m tall.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

Turning these old buildings into music venues is IMO the most incredible idea for regeneration, the buildings once again are filled with life and add to the culture of a place, all music venues I've been to that have been converted work so well on all levels, it fits in with the Custard Factory theme as well. Really impressed.

[GrAfiK_248]

be a good place for carling academy to move too.

[feltip]

The cold store and adjacent buildings from snaps4.blogspot.com/.../last-shall-be-first.html

Can't believe i've never paid more attention to the building with Make Peace on the top. It's beautiful.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[smysticed]

Wow! There's some really nice stuff there! Glad to see they're incorporating it in the design.

[JayPeeDee]

This area's gonna have to develop sooner or later. Think they should concentrate on replacing the dross shown in Stephen's picture first tho. Perhaps turn this into an open space and straightline the traffic a bit better???

[Erebus555]

That area in Stephen's picture would make a great mini-park!

[smysticed]

Originally Posted by Erebus555

That area in Stephen's picture would make a great mini-park!

I dunno... wouldn't it just end up being like the little parklets in the middle of the Queensway roundabouts? After all, Smithsfield House and all that is basically the middle of a strange shaped roundabout.

[ROYAL BLUE]

Or a nice square next to the markets, St. martins and Selfidges.

[smysticed]

Actually, I think if they rationalised the Roads around there a bit and managed to demolish those buildings (not sure how likely this could be) there could be a nice little City Square. I could see it being good with the markets.

[Braidy]

I'm confused as to which building was the music hall. The one with the Makepeace sign?

[fruit&nut]

Originally Posted by Braidy

I'm confused as to which building was the music hall. The one with the Makepeace sign?

No! It's on Park St, that's the road running alongside Selfridges.

It's opposite Selfridges, between the Car Park and the old pub on the corner.
It's a grey/black thing with the window shapes but no windows in!

[U475 Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by woodhousen

Brilliant

I like this in principle and don't have a problem with the tower either. I imagine it could look something like this which I found on the Trevor Horne site

[U475 Foxtrot]

[Braidy]

Originally Posted by fruit&nut

No! It's on Park St, that's the road running alongside Selfridges.

It's opposite Selfridges, between the Car Park and the old pub on the corner.
It's a grey/black thing with the window shapes but no windows in!

Ah, thanks. Would be great to have this back as a music venue but I wonder if the city could sustain another one.

[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?

[U475 Foxtrot]

My thoughts too. I haven't been inside these buildings but I don't imagine them to be like the Grand Hotel or Victoria Law Courts.

As long as the facades are retained does it really matter?

[fruit&nut]

Thinking about it, the facade of the Music Hall is probably it's worst bit!

Does anybody know what the inside of it is like......hint..hint..28 days later....hint!