University buys old Municipal Bank Listed landmark will be used as a space for performances and exhibitions
THE University of Birmingham has bought the city’s landmark Municipal Bank building to create a new exhibition hub.
The former Municipal Bank, Broad Street, has lain empty years.
But 12 months ago the university announced it was poised to strike an agreement to inject new life into the grade II-listed building.
That deal has now gone through, meaning the institute can start the process of turning it into a hub to in for showcase its research and host performances and exhibitions.
Director of estates Trevor Payne said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the university to work with other public and private partners and play an important part in the redevelopment of the area while still preserving the heritage of the building.”
Christian Bull, partner for Mills & Reeve which advised the university on the deal, added: “The new site is adjacent to the exciting Arena Central redevelopment and complex negotiations were therefore needed with stakeholders including Birmingham City Council, HSBC Bank and Arena Central, not only in rela- tion to the university’s acquisition of the property but also regarding its access and use. We are delighted the university will have a new home in the heart of the city.”
The UK’s only Municipal Bank was founded by former Lord Mayor Neville Chamberlain in the First World War and operated from the Council House and Edmund Street before building the new headquarters on Broad Street in 1933.
It was designed by architect Thomas Cecil Howitt in the monumental classical style.
The council bought the building in 2006 to help kickstart the redevelopment of the former ATV studios at Arena Central. It has occasionally been used to host public exhibitions, including the Universe of Sound show held by Symphony Hall in 2013 and the Hidden Spaces photography exhibition in 2015.
BBC TV productions Hustle, Line of Duty, Survivors and Toast have also used the building as a set.
The council first put the building’s lease on the market in 2013. Councillors were keen that it found a cultural or heritage use in keeping with its location near to the library, Rep theatre and Symphony Hall amid fears that a pub or nightclub would be more likely to take up residence.
A year later a consortium of faith groups in the city looked at establishing a Museum of World Religions there but the plans never got off the drawing board.