The BT Tower in Birmingham is located on Lionel Street in the Jewellery Quarter and still holds the record for the tallest building in the City. Built between 1963 and 1965, it was in operation by late 1966. Formerly known as the Post Office Tower or the GPO Tower. It is 152 metres high (499 ft). In recent years many of the dishes have been removed, as has the old BT logo.

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Introducing The BT Tower, Birmingham: The tallest building in the City!


Introducing The BT Tower, Birmingham: The tallest building in the City!


The BT Tower in Birmingham is located on Lionel Street in the Jewellery Quarter and still holds the record for the tallest building in the City. Built between 1963 and 1965, it was in operation by late 1966. Formerly known as the Post Office Tower or the GPO Tower. It is 152 metres high (499 ft). In recent years many of the dishes have been removed, as has the old BT logo.


BT TOWER, BIRMINGHAM

 

The BT Tower in Birmingham. It has been the tallest building in the City since it opened in 1966, taking the record from the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower (Old Joe). Other tall buildings have gone up and down in the last 55 years, but so far none of them have been higher than the BT Tower. There is also the issue with the flight paths in and out of Birmingham Airport.

Seen from various places within the City Centre, the BT Tower is also visible from the suburbs on the skyline.

The tower (having the equivalent of 24 floors) is not open to the public, so only BT staff are allowed to go up it.

At one point the tower was painted light brown, but this was changed in the early 2000s, and looks more white now. The BT logo on the top of the tower has changed over time. As of September 2020, the old BT logo has been taken down, but we are not sure when BT are going to put up their current logo.

The last of the satellite dishes were removed by 2012. Also during 2012, during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, they had a London 2012 banner on two sides of the tower.

Hopefully something will be done to the tower for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (if it goes ahead and isn't delayed by the 2020 pandemic).

 

Below gallery of photos taken over the years by Elliott Brown. 2009 to present.

2009

Earliest views from the Jewellery Quarter, and Great Charles Street Queensway.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Apr 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Apr 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (May 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (May 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2011

Zoom ins to the BT Tower as many of the dishes had been or were being removed from the top.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2012

Official logos for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralmpic Games.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (March 2012) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (March 2012) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (March 2012) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2013

Views from the Discovery Terrace at the Library of Birmingham.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Sept 2013) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Sept 2013) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Dec 2013).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2016

Was looking to see if I could see where the Peregrine falcon nests, but couldn't see it. Discovery Terrace views from the Library of Birmingham.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2018

Got this view below of the BT Tower and the red weather vane of the former Skin Hospital (on John Bright Street) from Holloway Circus near Suffolk Street Queensway during February 2018.

dndimg alt="BT Tower and Skin Hospital" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Skin Hospital (Feb 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The view from Stoneleigh Road in Perry Barr during early November 2018. Was close to the Birmingham City University demolition site (of what was supposed to be the Athletets Village for Birmingham 2022).

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Perry Barr (Nov 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2020

One of the last times seeing the old BT logo on the BT Tower. This was a month before lockdown. As seen from Ladywood.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Feb 2020).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The old BT logo is removed during August 2020.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Nothing left of the old BT logo by September 2020, other than a scar or ghost sign of what was left underneath.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Sept 2020).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Newhall St 29092020.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

On the weekend of the 17th and 18th October 2020, a helicopter lowered the new BT logos into place onto Three Snowhill, on the Snow Hill Queensway and Livery Street sides. But as you can see on the 19th October 2020, the BT Tower still was without new logos (apprently they have them inside ready to go up). This view from St Chad's Queensway.

dndimg alt="Three Snowhill and BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Three Snowhill BT Tower 19102020.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

From 2nd November 2020. Perhaps my last views of the BT Tower before Lockdown 2 for a month or so. Great Charles Street Queensway view from the train leaving Snow Hill Station and another view from Legge Lane.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower JQ 02112020 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower JQ 02112020 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

I hope you have enjoyed looking at the wonderful gallery of BT Tower photos above!

One day it will be nice to get permission from BT to go up to the top for photos, but at the moment that seems very unlikely for members of the public.

And while we are at it, can BT give us permission to go up to the top of Three Snowhill?

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown. Can be found on Twitter: ellrbrown.