Former Post print works influence tower’s design
APLANNED 14-storey city centre office block could be as distinctive and iconic as The Cube or Selfridges building it has been claimed.
Developer Chatham Billingham, the company behind the Mailbox development, won the go ahead for the block planned for the site of the former Birmingham Post & Mail print works site in Weaman Street, of Colmore Circus.
Its design for the tower to be built on top of the existing car park and a parade of shops were given the green light by the council’s planning committee yesterday.
Committee member Councillor Barry Henley (Lab, Brandwood) said: “This building’s design is quirky, interesting and goes with things like The Cube and Selfridges which are interesting to look at.”
He said it would be a great addition to the city centre.
The developer already had permission for a block of apartments and offices – but has now decided that apartments are no longer viable.
Phase one of the project was completed in 2015 and comprises the underground, 752-space car park in the old printing works with 31,600 sq ft of retail and office units above.
The new tower will be built immediately above this.
The development site beside the police HQ at Lloyd House was home to the Birmingham Post & Mail for decades, housed in a complex originally designed by renowned city architect John Madin.
Large parts of the 1960s complex, including the famous tower, were demolished in 2005 to make way for what is now The Colmore Building.
The newspapers moved out of the city centre in 2008 to their current home in Fort Dunlop in Castle Bromwich.
But the newspaper heritage inspired the design of the new block.
Matthew Goer of designer Associated Architects said: “The building’s external appearance takes its cue from the print-making history of the site.
“Anodised aluminium cladding panels have been chosen to give the building a crisp, metallic appearance, alluding to the plate printing matrices that can be seen on photographic records of the demolished Printing Works building. In addition, the limited colour palette of black, grey and silver represents the appearance of monochrome newsprint.”