Soft landing for fine art deco terminal raises hard questions
Victoria Square will not be a magnificent thing of beauty.
Another in that category should be the art deco 1930s Elmdon Airport terminal.
This is an objectively fine piece of architecture which, despite being a little shabby here and there, is as stunning today as it was in 1939.
It’s distinctive, the wing-like canopies and balconies are elegant and evoke an age when aviation was glamorous, rather than the soulless hell that air travel is today.
But the growth of air travel meant that 30 years ago it was too small to meet demand from Brummie holiday makers so inevitably it was replaced and gradually fallen into disuse.
But it’s still there on the airfield, though in this era of heightened security, it is not easily leased or adapted for other uses.
There were also fears that there would be commercial pressure to get rid of the building and clear the space especially as it had fallen into disrepair.
But campaigners, 5,000 of whom signed an online petition, will be relieved that Historic England has finally awarded the iconic terminal grade II listing.
This means that it is now much, much harder to secure planning permission to demolish and the building is protected. But what can they do with it? It won’t be plane sailing. There are difficulties with any of the suggestions put forward – few would want to stay at a hotel next to the runway, a restaurant and conference centre might be possible, an aviation related business might like an iconic office or perhaps some sort of visitor attraction could be housed there.
The statement from Birmingham Airport welcoming the listing suggests they are open to ideas.
Now it is time to come up with a sustainable plan for its future.