Brutalist Birmingham: 11 photos of the incredible buildings that people love and hate
Joe Forte
·4-min read
The Rotunda became known as the Coca Cola Tower in Birmingham in the 1970s. The cylindrical highrise building in a unique feature of the city centre. The Grade II listed building is 81 metres tall and was completed in 1965
The Birmingham city skyline is a mix of old and new – from its industrial past, to the brutalist structures of the 60s, and now with its shiny new skyscrapers.
We love Brum and it’s brilliant architecture. With such a melting pot of architectural styles, there are also many brutalist buildings across the city. The Brutalist architecture has divided opinion over the years.
It is characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the bare building materials and structural elements instead of more extravagant, decorative design.
Although some say it’s a bit of an eye sore, the Ringway is home to many different businesses. The Ringway Centre is a defining piece of brutalist architecture in the city, and first opened in 1962. Although its future isn’t looking positive as Birmingham City Council planning officers have agreed to plans to demolish it and replace it with apartments.
One particular structure has hit the headlines recently as Birmingham City Council approved plans to demolish it - and replace it with 1,750 flats yesterday (Thursday, September 28). There have been several protests against the plans for Smallbrook Queensway Ringway Centre.
Prince Charles has even commented on Birmingham’s brutalist architecture in the past, although he didn’t seem to be a fan of one building in particular. You can see which one in our gallery below.
Architecture is pretty subjective, and this of course can lead to different opinions, so we’ve decided to take a look at the most incredible brutalist buildings which are still standing in the city today.
Let’s take a look:
The Sentinels are two 90 metre tall residential tower blocks on Holloway Head. The two towers, called Clydesdale Tower and Cleveland Tower, are both 31 storeys tall and were part of a major regeneration and council home building scheme following World War II which in the 1960s and 1970s saw the construction of hundreds of tower blocks (Photo: Photo by Oosoom (Wikipedia))
Tricorn House is one of the most striking buildings in Birmingham. It was built in the early 1970s and opened in 1976 and was originally designed so you could view both sides simultaneously from the front. It’s used for office work space
The Birmingham Central Library was the main public library in the city from 1974 until 2013. It was demolished in 2016, after 41 years, as part of the redevelopment of Paradise Circus. The Library’s architecture was unique, although Prince Charles wasn’t impressed. When he first saw the building, the soon to be King famously said: “It looks more like a place for burning books than keeping them.”
The iconic Grade II-listed site was at the heart of Britain’s railway network until it closed on Christmas Eve last year after 57 years of service. The pre-cast concrete signal box has divided opinion ever since opening in 1966 and at one point was even branded one of the country’s ugliest buildings. But despite its mixed reputation, more than 7,000 people applied to get a glimpse inside the structure before the 1960s technology is removed. IT’s certainly eye-catching
The Gravelly Hill Interchange is a road junction 6 of the M6 motorway where it meets the A38 Aston Expressway in the Gravelly Hill area of Birmingham. The junction was opened on 24 May 1972 and has been a key feature of the city ever since
The Rep opened in 1971. The theatre is loved for its old victorian style still and eye-catching arched windows. The theatre was refurbished and extended in 1991 after the completion of the International Convention Centre.
The House of Fraser building opened in 1961. It was designed by T P Bennett and Son. An application for statutory listing was made in 2020 but turned down by Historic England
Pebble Mill Studios was the BBC’s television studio complex located on Pebble Mill Road in Edgbaston. Opening in 1971, as well as being the home of Midlands Today and BBC Radio WM, programmes produced at Pebble Mill included Pebble Mill at One, The Archers, Top Gear, and Doctors. The building closed in 2004 and was demolished in September 2005 (Photo: Flickr - Robin Vanagas)
Alpha Tower is a Grade II listed office skyscraper . It was designed as the headquarters of the commercial television company ATV (Associated Television) and part of the company’s production studio complex known as ATV Centre, an adjacent shorter tower was planned but was never built. ATV closed in 1982, after which the building became offices.At 100 m as of 2023 it is the sixth-tallest building in Birmingham, and became the second-tallest office building in Birmingham after 103 Colmore Row
The Ashley and Strathcona buildings were built between 1961 and 1964 and are located at the University of Birmingham. The buildings’ post-war design certainly makes them stand out at the university
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