Birmingham’s Former Newspaper Building becomes High-Spec Car Park
In a guest authored article from Clare Moorhouse we look at the new B4 Car Park which has risen from the site of the former Birmingham Post and Mail HQ. I blogged about the plans for the car park in April 2013, https://birminghamcentral.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/post-space-to-park-post-and-mail.html.
The former Birmingham Post and Mail
HQ, that was one of the first glass slab International blocks built in the
United Kingdom and initially considered an architectural triumph is now home to
a high-spec, award winning car park in Birmingham city centre.
The Birmingham Post and Mail
building was originally built in the 1960s and was home to the Birmingham Post
and Evening Mail newspapers following its completion in 1964.
Opened by Princess Margaret in
1964, the 16-storey tower block which dominated the city’s skyline was 10 years
in the making. The plan of the building was based on the natural flow of
newspaper production; with a double-storey advertisement hall with Directors’
offices above, a two-storey publishing area and a machine hall in a deep
basement. The outstanding dramatic
feature of the exterior was the tall open arcade which linked the advertisement
hall to the editorial block across the front courtyard. The building cost £7.5
million to build and was considered the most modern newspaper building in
Europe.
The former Post and Mail Building was considered an
architectural triumph
The outstanding dramatic feature of the exterior is the tall
open arcade which links the advertisement hall to the editorial block across
the front courtyard.
In 2005, the editorial tower was demolished to enable redevelopment of the site and that same year Trinity Mirror Midlands, the publishing company behind the Birmingham Post & Mail newspapers, vacated the remaining portion of the building (the printing works).
In July 2009 Chatham Billingham
(P&M) Limited bought the former printing works building and submitted a
planning application to develop the site, Phase 1 of which incorporates a
752-space underground car park over six storeys. Design and construction excellence
is apparent throughout the new six storey car park, from the ground-breaking
car parking technologies to the extremely high quality finishes found
throughout the car park, many of which can be considered to rival those found
in commercial buildings.
Phase 1 completed, now an underground city centre car park.
High quality finishes found throughout the car park, many of
which can be considered to rival those found in commercial buildings.
Phase 2 has planning permission for Grade A office accommodation and residential apartments above the car park, along with retail or restaurant use on the ground floor.
In March 2017 plans for this Phase 2 were revealed in the Birmingham Post with another tower in distinctive pattern to be added to the skyline, http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/birmingham-apartments-plan-scrapped-favour-12682414
Image reproduced from http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/birmingham-apartments-plan-scrapped-favour-12682414
B4 Car Park is located on Weaman Street, between Snow Hill Railway Station and Birmingham Children’s Hospital and is offering free weekend parking until the end of September 2017.
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