Old canal office to live again £3m modern art gallery plan to resurrect grade-II listed landmark
ADERELICT canal office in Birmingham is to be resurrected as the city’s latest art gallery. The grade II-listed Junction Works in Fazeley Street, Digbeth, is to get a new lease of life thanks to art studio Grand Union.
The £3.25 million plan will see a new contemporary art gallery as well as studios for artists.
The building, which dates back to the mid-19th century, is at the junction of the Grand Union and Digbeth Branch canals. It previously served as a boxing gym and café but has been empty for several years after suffering a fire in 2004.
The three-year project has already received £25,000 from the Architectural Heritage Fund and £150,000 from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Grand Union, based in Minerva Works, also in Fazeley Street, opened in 2010 with the aim of providing affordable work space for artists and a gallery.
It plans to move to Junction Works once the renovation is complete and secure a 100-year lease on the property.
Director Cheryl Jones said: “This is an extremely exciting and timely opportunity for Grand Union to put down firm roots in Digbeth.
“We will create a world-class facility that enables us to support many more artists in the city and a welcoming gallery where you can encounter some of the most interesting contemporary art being created