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ArchitectureAndUs is a Community of Passion that utilises FreeTimePays digital engagement and social media to deliver real change and positive social impact.

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Amazing views from The Cube, Birmingham - a day's photography with Birmingham We Are

On the 4th November, the day before the second national lockdown, Daniel Sturley, community photographer at Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build was invited to The Cube to experience and capture the early morning and late afternoon views from the 25th floor. 

Take the full feature and enjoy a selection of stunning photography.  

Birrmingham has always been a city of huge creativity and the city's architects are acknowledged for some of the most creative builds seen anywhere across the world. One of the most photographed and talked about is The Cube, designed by architect Ken Shuttleworth of Make Architects. 

Built between 2007 and 2010, The Cube is a mixed-use development located near The Mailbox alongside the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

At 7am on the 4th November, Daniel is given exclusive access to floor 25 of The Cube, home of the Marco Pierre White restaurant.

Here is a small selection of Daniel's photography taken before and during an amazing sunrise as experienced sky high at The Cube. 

Very early before the city sunrise looking at the Mercian and Bank Tower 2 on Broad Street.

Getting creative through the glasses and bottles.

And then the sun riseth.

Creating shadows on the interiors of the rooftop restaurant:

With great views of the city from the terrace:

Later the same day, Birmingham We Are and Daniel are invited back to The Cube to experience the late afternoon views as seen from the 25th floor of The Cube.

Stunning photography!

Thank you to the Cube team for the invitation and the experience. 

Get in touch

Showcase your build and your city with Birmingham We Are and It's your Build.

Contact jonathan.bostock@peoplemattersnetwork.com for more information.

The Discovery Terrace and the Secret Garden at the Library of Birmingham during September 2013

The Library of Birmingham opened to the public back in early September 2013. Elliott had his fist visit on the 21st September 2013 in the late afternoon, with just about time to visit the Discovery Terrace. With closing at 5pm, he returned a week later on the 28th September 2013 to head up to the Secret Garden for the first time. Since then he has been loads of times over the years.

A digital tour of the Discovery Terrace and the Secret Garden at the Library of Birmingham. As they were during September 2013, within a few weeks of the Library opening to the public.

 

To see Elliott's previous Library of Birmingham posts from the September 2013 visits click the links below:

• Shakespeare Memorial Room
• Tour of the Library of Birmingham

Discovery Terrace

Located on Level 3, the Discovery Terrace is accessed through the Revolving doors from the Discovery Floor (this was later replaced with automatic doors years later). Facing Centenary Square and the Arena Central site. Part of it goes around the side of the Library with a view of City Centre Gardens below.

On the 21st September 2013 you could see the old John Madin designed Birmingham Central Library and NatWest Tower (103 Colmore Row).

Was a bit of an animal art trail on the Discovery Terrace at the time.

Area at the back was not accessible at the time with all these barriers with something that was being finished off.

Looks like the only way to this section that day was via the side door from the library.

Some kind of bird house.

 

Secret Garden

Located on Level 7, you can get the travelator up from Level 3 to 4, then the lift or stairs up to Level 7. The Glass Lift initially worked in it's first year, but has not worked for many years or even been fixed. Press the disabled door button to open the door to the Secret Garden. It has views to the back of the Library, plus you can go around to the front for views of the City Centre.

On the 28th September 2013, there was a lot of people up on the Secret Garden. Views from up here are spectacular and change all the time. Although sometimes gets a bit boring on repeated visits over the years.

Some more colourful art installations for people to look out for at the time.

Wooden benches to sit down on and rest.

The view at the front over Centenary Square was quite busy that day.

Lots of colourful flowers up here. They regularly change them all the time.

Another bird house up here as well.

 

Over they years since, it does get a bit frustrating when the only thing to see is all of those construction sites, and I don't always want to take photos of them. Would be nice to somehow get access to the top of other tall buildings for photo views. Ran out of things to take up here. It's only those events that used to happen in Centenary Square down below that made a change from the usual views.

The Library has been closed since the first lockdown. Apart from people going for books, the terraces have yet to be reopened to the public, so I have no idea when I'll be going back up there. It wont be any time soon, that's for sure.

With a Second Lockdown (for at least a month), it means that there has been no access up to the terraces for 8 or 9 months and counting. The library had only reopened for people taking out or returning books only.

 

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

Introducing the Holiday Inn Express at Arena Central, Birmingham

Resembling the video game TETRIS during construction, the Holiday Inn Express hotel is located on Holliday Street and was part of the Arena Central redevelopment site (the first building to be completed). Construction started in the autumn of 2015. The hotel was opened in the spring of 2017. Located close to the Crowne Plaza hotel.

19 Holliday Street, Birmingham, B1 1HH.

Holiday Inn Express was built on a site on Holliday Street in Birmingham City Centre. Construction began in the Autumn of 2015 and was complete and open by the Spring of 2017. When going up, the building resembled a game of TETRIS (on the Nintendo Game Boy).

Each piece was pre-cast off site and lowered down by a crane. The windows in shapes of a right angle. Eventually the building was cladded in a white and black cladding.

Since opening in April 2017, the hotel has officially been called Holiday Inn Express Birmingham - City Centre. Located at 19 Holliday Street, Birmingham, B1 1HH.

 

Regular contributors Elliott thinks of it as the TETRIS building, while Daniel as the Minecraft building.

Gallery of photos taken from 2015 to present:

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Photos courtesty of Elliott Brown

2017

2018

2019

2020

Photos courtesty of  Daniel Sturley

Island House, demolished after standing for 99 years

Island House was located at a site on Moor Street Queensway with Albert Street and Fazeley Street. Built during 1912 to 1913. It was demolished in 2012. Neighbour Hotel La Tour was built from 2010 to 2012. The land was for a time a temporary car park for the hotel, now called the Clayton Hotel. The land is now part of the HS2 Curzon Street Station building site.

Island House

Island House initially survived the demolition of Masshouse Circus in the early 2000s, and was originally going to be part of the proposed City Park Gate scheme, on the land running down Moor Street Queensway. The building was on a site on Moor Street Queensway, Albert Street and Fazeley Street. The address was 2 Fazeley Street.

Built during 1912 to 1913 by G. E. Pepper, in the Mannerist style. The entrance had columns in the Ionic style at the bottom, Doric in the middle and Tuscan at the top. It was built as offices and a warehouse for Churchill & Co. Birmingham City Council had locally listed the building at the time as Grade B. It may have been Grade II listed, but I was never able to find any listing text for it. The building was refurbished in 2005, when it was acquired by a design firm.

Everything changed when HS2 was announced, and City Park Gate was quietly cancelled.

Hotel La Tour was built on what was City Park Gate Plot 4, from 2010 until early 2012. Island House was demolished by February 2012. After that, hoardings went up around the site, and was for a time used as a car park for the hotel. Now the land is part of the HS2 Curzon Street Station site, and is behind hoardings and fences on Moor Street Queensway.

The hotel was renamed to Clayton Hotel in 2017 after getting new owners, and was having extra floors built during 2020.

 

 

Earliest views of Island House taken during April 2009. This was at the time a convenient route to get to Eastside from the City Centre. Masshouse to the left.

The snow of January 2010, and got some close up details of Island House. There was an art installation outside, but it looks like the design company had long since moved out by then. Last view of Masshouse before the site to the left was taken over by Hotel La Tour.

By December 2010, the Hotel La Tour site to the left was hoarded, ready to be built in 2011. Island House on the right had the lower windows boarded off. It's future looked bleak.

The view of Island House from Park Street during March 2011, as the crane was behind for the building of Hotel La Tour. This was the end of Fazeley Street to Moor Street Queensway.

By June 2011, Hotel La Tour was up to the first floor, as seen from Moor Street Queensway. Less than a year left for Island House.

Walking down Moor Street Queensway during September 2011, towards Hotel La Tour, Masshouse and Island House. They were building the 2nd and 3rd floor on the hotel at this point, and was already higher than the doomed Island House.

In February 2012, scaffolding went up on Island House to prepare for it's demolition, as Hotel La Tour next door was almost complete.

Later that month, Island House was under white wrappings, while the Bus Interchange works were being built on Moor Street Queensway. Hotel La Tour was almost finished and ready to open.

By March 2013 there was nothing left of Island House. Just a brownfield site next to Hotel La Tour.

Skipping ahead to January 2020, this view from Moor Street Car Park. There is nothing left of the Island House site, even the Fox & Grapes had gone (in 2018). While the Clayton Hotel (renamed from Hotel La Tour in 2017), was preparing to build some additional floors. All the land here now is part of the HS2 Curzon Street Station. That part of Park Street would later be permanently closed off by HS2 as well. Masshouse was joined by Exchange Square on the left.

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