Picture perfect morning on top of tallest tower...
THE roof terrace of 103 Colmore Row came into its own when city photographers were invited to capture the sunrise from its 18th floor terrace – and Mother Nature delivered the goods with a light show that it took an investment worth £100 million to fully appreciate. After three named storms recently, nobody knew for certain what last Thursday’s dawn would bring to Colmore Row on a day when the Met Office was decorating its forecasts with grey cloud symbols.
By 6.30am when darkness was already beginning to give way to light, it was clear that visibility would be well above average. And then, as the sun came up shortly before 7.10am, there was real magic in the air in front of what has been the tallest office block under construction outside of London.
On Birmingham’s eastern horizon, to the left of the Rotunda as we looked, and beyond the steaming chimney above Tyseley incinerator, a golden ball began to edge its way upwards into the sky.
In a city where trying to watch the sun rise is fiendishly difficult to experience at ground level, the terrace overlooking Colmore Row below was the place to be.
Two horizontal layers of low cloud enabled the sun to come and go, at one time appearing to have a fine ring of cloud around its top section like a planet in the solar system.
For anyone who does not live in a city tower block, this was was the nearest thing to feeling like an astronaut looking out on to another world. The refracted light shining across the city centre went through the colours of the rainbow as dark hues eventually turned into bright yellow as the minutes ticked by.
Staff photographer Nick Wilkinson captured the very best moments of the sunrise for the Birmingham Post. Andrew Hawkins, from Sterling Property Ventures, said the project had been brought to fruition despite the pandemic and what it would offer going forward.
The top floor restaurant, soon to start being fitted out, will offer commanding 360 degree views of the entire city from summer onwards – and will include the chance to look down upon the BT Tower on the Jewellery Quarter side of the building.