The Cube | Commercial Street | Residential/Commercial | 17fl | 72m | Comp.

[Usherling]

Well I pissed my self...I wouldn't say that is OTT...

I can't wait for this to start construction...Then I'll shit myself...

[Biosonic]

Originally Posted by woodhousen

ooooh dear........ thats a little ott bio

Well, I'm thinking of buying one so that explains my excitement!

I haven't seen the Mailbox video in full, but it is different to any part that I've seen. It takes a pedestrians view as you walk through the sliding doors at the back of Mailbox, and the Cube looms above you.

It then walks through the Cube courtyard and up into the rooftop restaurant.

The views are ace

[Rigadon]

Speaking of the restaurant Anyone know if there's even a grain of truth in this suggestion?
http://www.birminghamplus.com/forum/...archTerms=cube

The guy that wrote it is a bit of a loose cannon and eccentric but sometimes has insider knowledge.

[Biosonic]

That's interesting - I wonder whether it could be true?

Probably just a bit of publicity - good for Cube and good for Ramsay. I would prefer to see Rick Stein though (personally). That said, Ramsay would throw down the gauntlet and other chefs would come flooding here. More Michelin stars

[mahill]

Originally Posted by Biosonic

That's interesting - I wonder whether it could be true?

Probably just a bit of publicity - good for Cube and good for Ramsay. I would prefer to see Rick Stein though (personally). That said, Ramsay would throw down the gauntlet and other chefs would come flooding here. More Michelin stars

I don't know if it's true, postcode works in the restaurant trade so it could be inside info, but if it is it's good news in changing the perception of Birmingham. We've had Paris, Jessicas & Simpsons, we need to keep up the momentum.

[doc-brum]

I went and spoke to the Cube rep in the Mailbox, she said that there will be two halves to the flats - Eastside and Westside. The Eastside apratments will only be for owner occupiers, the Westside will be for investors/tenants. apparently they will be writing that into the East side's contracts.

[bileduct]

Don't know if these have been posted before, apologies if they have, but Kinetic have stuck more images of their losing Cube proposal on their website (they describe it as "runner up", though whether that means that it was officially the second favourite isn't very clear - it might be "joint second with all of the other ones that weren't selected")

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl2xi.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl30k.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl34j.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl35i.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl36h.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl37r.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl2t5.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i2.************/qnl3b6.jpg[/IMG]

Still prefer the winning MAKE one, which seems to have the added dimension of a complex design worked out from a simple premise, but these look pretty cool to me. Interesting that they proposed retaining the existing victorian frontages too.

Down the road at Arena Central, Dandara seem to have a habit of appointing good, adventurous but non-superstar local architects for their residential projects (eg mlbc for Manchester's Locks building, SSC forummer aland's gm+ad practice for Glasgow Harbour II). Speculating wildly and possibly a bit optimistically, if Dandara have been taken onboard at AC for their experience at making upmarket city-centre residential projects work commercially, and have a track record of using Kinetic-ish comapnies to give them a distinctive design edge to that end, then could we possibly be seeing something vaguely Tate-tower-ish rising next to Alpha? Would be nice...

[Biosonic]

Good post biley - thanks

Looking at those I am glad they didn't get the job - it looks daft retaining the old buildings and I feel this one would be a bit too odd for this location - too complicated. The Cube is a nice simple form that keeps most of its oddness inside!

I love the bridge & groom running across the bridge - think they are heading toward the new Register Office?

[bileduct]

Originally Posted by Biosonic

I love the bridge & groom running across the bridge - think they are heading toward the new Register Office?

Yeah, I like the helicopter in picture 5 too. Round here a helicopter hovering overhead normally means somebody's just been mugged and the rozzers are on the prowl after the culprits though - presumably not the symbolism intended...

[Nacho]

Thanks for those Bileduct.

[suki_uk]

Here is a pic showing what it is going to look like from inside looking out

[Rigadon]

Originally Posted by Biosonic

Good post biley - thanks

- it looks daft retaining the old buildings and I feel this one would be a bit too odd for this location - too complicated. T

I couldnt disagree more. One of the few things I dont like about the cube is that it doesnt keep any of the old buildings.

[Engels]

I have to say the overall standard of entries was really good but i think that the cube is so good and won because it is so iconic. I don't think any of the other designs would stick in the conscience as much as this. Because it's enourmous cube it'll be much bigger than any usual 17story building and it has such an easy name that every will remember.. not us who would've remembered the name of whatever went here but everybody else will know it's name and think of Brum when u say "the Cube" - like they do when u say Gurkin - u automatically think of London's city. That's marketing u just can't buy.

[FLD]

This is going to be an amazing building, & will catapult Birmingham up the architectural league.

[Sonny97]

The Cube is a fantastic concept, the kind of iconic building Birmingham desperately needs if its ever going to shake off its old image the rest of the world seems to think of

[Biosonic]

Originally Posted by Rigadon

I couldnt disagree more. One of the few things I dont like about the cube is that it doesnt keep any of the old buildings.

Really? I feel the buildings there are of very little merit apart from the grey/red one behind Fish! (It will always be Fish! ) And that is only good because of the work they did on updating it rather than the original building.

I love the Cube and I only hope it is as good in the flesh as it looks on the renders

[feltip]

Hi, apologies for the bad pic, it is a photo of the picture in newspaper.

in the 'Birmingham News' free newspaper 'Property News' section on p.44 there is an article titled "Ice cool Cube set to change skyline" with picture titled: "Night Vision: The terrace at the cube".

Interesting picture with ICC in background and campanile tower of Brindley Place. If someone can scan it in would be good.

[IMG][/IMG]

[MJH]

I think we are already seeing the dumbing down of the design. In Dec BDC were not even sure what the exterior would even be made of, though talk of Perspex, glass and aluminium were all mentioned. Although I am maybe jumping the gun, the Pic from feltip definately suggests Limestone/sandstone or more likely reconstituted stone blockwork, whether this will translate to design changes on the exterior, who knows.

On the other hand it could be moulded terracotta, which would actually be ace, a real return to traditional Birmingham materials, and the ability to mix, the colour (red, pink, orange, buff), tone and hue, bring on the next CGI!

[Biosonic]

Fear not!

I think this particular elevation (the one with the cut-away atrium) may be in some form of stone or terracotta, but the rest of the building (which is glazed) is most likely to be metallic fretwork as there isn't the depth to wrap this (above) all the way around. A view from inside an apartment on the other 3 sides would therefore have the fretwork crossing the window

Inside the atrium the glazing (esp between floors) appears to be coloured.

I don't think it will be dumbed-down as it is projected to cost £100m, and this is quite a small building for £100m (which is the market value I assume).

[Rigadon]

Originally Posted by Biosonic

Really? I feel the buildings there are of very little merit

Im guessing you're just not that a big fan of industrial buildings then. Id happily buy the painted brick work from the G & S Brough Factory.