Alpha Tower | 28fl | 100m | Complete

feltip · February 22nd, 2008, 07:42 PM

(there has to be somewhere to post all the fab photos of this plus im sure it will have a refurb oneday)

Quote:

Part of ATV development of 1969-73 on site of canal basin. A 28 storey Alpha Tower, hotel and offices by H. George Marsh of Richard Seifert & Partners. A good example of Marsh's dramatic and angular style (cf. Centre Point, London). The tower cranks in the middle and has a Pirelli-style tapered ends. They house the staircases. The window surrounds have tapered sides, and the angles are reflected in the ground floor arches.

Pevsner Guide, Andy Foster, 2005. P.142.

courtessy of Van Heckler.

feltip · February 22nd, 2008, 07:48 PM

Some of my photos of it.

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

Telfordboy · February 22nd, 2008, 07:53 PM

Erebus555 · February 22nd, 2008, 08:46 PM

image hosted on flickr

blahblah · February 22nd, 2008, 08:49 PM

Alpha Tower: Home to some of the most helpful and informative directional signs in Birmingham. If that sign wasn't there, I could quite easily have missed it....

feltip · February 22nd, 2008, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erebus555

image hosted on flickr

Look how small the Town Hall looks and then think of V towering 50 more metres above

Interesting sign Blah

Although it states the obvious im sure there are some people who need the obvious pointing out

Bachy Soletanche · February 22nd, 2008, 09:19 PM

When was there ever shopping in the Alpha Tower Plaza?

CityGent · February 23rd, 2008, 10:28 PM

Mucking around with PS - the view from Alpha

feltip · February 24th, 2008, 01:05 AM

Cheers CityGent.
A lot of white buildings there. Cube will look good appearing behind Plaza flats.

Nacho · February 24th, 2008, 01:13 AM

It's such a great building .Very photogenic .Also a great tower to take photos from ! What more could we ask for !

U475 Foxtrot · February 24th, 2008, 12:54 PM

Last weekend I spotted these which looked a bit Alpha-ish. Seifert designed buildings perhaps?

by London Bridge

Guildhall

Nacho · February 24th, 2008, 01:27 PM

A lot of similarities there .

Erebus555 · February 24th, 2008, 03:34 PM

Richard Seifert did actually design Centre Point (the first couple of photos) as well as Alpha. I'm unsure about Guildhall though.

U475 Foxtrot · February 24th, 2008, 04:05 PM

No it's definitely not Centrepoint http://www.archinect.com/images/uplo...nt_WARD_01.jpg

This one was over London Bridge Underground behind the FT building

Erebus555 · February 24th, 2008, 04:51 PM

Oh yes, it looks quite similar though!

Manc Guy · February 25th, 2008, 05:44 PM

ugllllly!

Telfordboy · February 25th, 2008, 05:49 PM

What-ever

paul_kimber · February 25th, 2008, 07:02 PM

On from me back in November, And what ever happened to "Alpha Tower Shopping"?

image hosted on flickr

CityGent · March 6th, 2008, 02:11 AM

There was a fire alarm in Alpha a few days ago, a good chance to view the tapered ends of the building.

Basically at each end of the building there is a set of stairs, beyond this there is a door and a metal grille protecting against the open air. These camera phone snaps might illustrate it better:

feltip · March 6th, 2008, 02:17 AM

Here is one from last year to go with those of the view from fire escape stairs.

February 22nd, 2008, 07:48 PM	#2
feltip Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Balsall Heath :Birmingham Posts: 11,599 Likes (Received): 49	Some of my photos of it. image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr __________________ Regeneration - Changing Places and Transforming Lives. \|Birmingham Central Blog \| Feltip Flickr \| Twitter GREATER BIRMINGHAM

February 22nd, 2008, 07:53 PM	#3
Telfordboy Fus-Ro-Dah! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yo' mama! Posts: 10,593 Likes (Received): 6	__________________ You may be able to contact me at the Hall of the Wendigo should you really feel the need. http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/

February 22nd, 2008, 08:46 PM	#4
Erebus555 It's Sting. So What? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bristol Posts: 31,246 Likes (Received): 4	image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr __________________ The UK Housing Wiki - Attempting to document every tower block, council estate, private estate, housing association, tower block construction/ demolition method, tower block architect, tower block construction company... etc etc, in the UK. Everything to do with postwar residences! - Please join and help! EREBUS - OFFICIAL MOD CANDIDATE 2011 - BRITISH MODS FOR BRITISH PEOPLE!

February 22nd, 2008, 09:19 PM	#7
Bachy Soletanche Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 14,583 Likes (Received): 172	When was there ever shopping in the Alpha Tower Plaza? __________________ We do not need to return anywhere, we are already in all the places we have ever been

February 24th, 2008, 01:05 AM	#9
feltip Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Balsall Heath :Birmingham Posts: 11,599 Likes (Received): 49	Cheers CityGent. A lot of white buildings there. Cube will look good appearing behind Plaza flats. __________________ Regeneration - Changing Places and Transforming Lives. \|Birmingham Central Blog \| Feltip Flickr \| Twitter GREATER BIRMINGHAM

February 22nd, 2008, 08:49 PM	#5
blahblah Change is Here! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Greater Birmingham Posts: 3,714 Likes (Received): 0	Alpha Tower: Home to some of the most helpful and informative directional signs in Birmingham. If that sign wasn't there, I could quite easily have missed it....

February 23rd, 2008, 10:28 PM	#8
CityGent In the aeroplane over B1 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The City of Birmingham Posts: 2,082 Likes (Received): 19	Mucking around with PS - the view from Alpha

February 24th, 2008, 01:13 AM	#10
Nacho Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,674 Likes (Received): 5	It's such a great building .Very photogenic .Also a great tower to take photos from ! What more could we ask for !

February 24th, 2008, 12:54 PM	#11
U475 Foxtrot Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,189 Likes (Received): 2	Last weekend I spotted these which looked a bit Alpha-ish. Seifert designed buildings perhaps? by London Bridge Guildhall

February 24th, 2008, 01:27 PM	#12
Nacho Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,674 Likes (Received): 5	A lot of similarities there .

February 24th, 2008, 03:34 PM	#13
Erebus555 It's Sting. So What? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bristol Posts: 31,246 Likes (Received): 4	Richard Seifert did actually design Centre Point (the first couple of photos) as well as Alpha. I'm unsure about Guildhall though. __________________ The UK Housing Wiki - Attempting to document every tower block, council estate, private estate, housing association, tower block construction/ demolition method, tower block architect, tower block construction company... etc etc, in the UK. Everything to do with postwar residences! - Please join and help! EREBUS - OFFICIAL MOD CANDIDATE 2011 - BRITISH MODS FOR BRITISH PEOPLE!

February 24th, 2008, 04:05 PM	#14
U475 Foxtrot Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,189 Likes (Received): 2	No it's definitely not Centrepoint http://www.archinect.com/images/uplo...nt_WARD_01.jpg This one was over London Bridge Underground behind the FT building Last edited by U475 Foxtrot; February 24th, 2008 at 09:36 PM.

February 24th, 2008, 04:51 PM	#15
Erebus555 It's Sting. So What? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bristol Posts: 31,246 Likes (Received): 4	Oh yes, it looks quite similar though! __________________ The UK Housing Wiki - Attempting to document every tower block, council estate, private estate, housing association, tower block construction/ demolition method, tower block architect, tower block construction company... etc etc, in the UK. Everything to do with postwar residences! - Please join and help! EREBUS - OFFICIAL MOD CANDIDATE 2011 - BRITISH MODS FOR BRITISH PEOPLE!

February 25th, 2008, 05:44 PM	#16
Manc Guy I'm sure ting 'blad'! Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,749 Likes (Received): 2	ugllllly!

February 25th, 2008, 05:49 PM	#17
Telfordboy Fus-Ro-Dah! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yo' mama! Posts: 10,593 Likes (Received): 6	What-ever __________________ You may be able to contact me at the Hall of the Wendigo should you really feel the need. http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/

February 25th, 2008, 07:02 PM	#18
paul_kimber The City Of Birmingham Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Birmingham Posts: 375 Likes (Received): 0	On from me back in November, And what ever happened to "Alpha Tower Shopping"? image hosted on flickr

March 6th, 2008, 02:11 AM	#19
CityGent In the aeroplane over B1 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The City of Birmingham Posts: 2,082 Likes (Received): 19	There was a fire alarm in Alpha a few days ago, a good chance to view the tapered ends of the building. Basically at each end of the building there is a set of stairs, beyond this there is a door and a metal grille protecting against the open air. These camera phone snaps might illustrate it better:

March 6th, 2008, 02:17 AM	#20
feltip Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Balsall Heath :Birmingham Posts: 11,599 Likes (Received): 49	Here is one from last year to go with those of the view from fire escape stairs. __________________ Regeneration - Changing Places and Transforming Lives. \|Birmingham Central Blog \| Feltip Flickr \| Twitter GREATER BIRMINGHAM

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