103 Colmore Row

Office in Birmingham January 2014 February 2021 103 Colmore Row 103 Colmore Row (completed).jpg 103 Colmore Row, completed 2021 West Midlands Location in West Midlands Built Commercial Contemporary High rise Colmore Row, Birmingham, England 52 28 51.14 N 1 54 5.49 W region:GB-BIR inline,title 2019 2021 108 m ft 0 26 Sterling Property Ventures and Rockspring Royal BAM Group 103 Colmore Row is a 108-metre tall, 26-storey commercial office building located on Colmore Row, Birmingham, England. Completed in 2021, this building replaced the former NatWest Tower designed by John Madin and completed in 1975. In 2008, a plan by then owners British Land to demolish NatWest Tower and replace it with a taller modern equivalent was approved. This plan never progressed and in 2015 the building passed to the developer Sterling Property Ventures, who successfully applied to have the building demolished. Construction of the new tower began in June 2019 and completed in 2021. 103 Colmore Row is the tallest office building in the United Kingdom outside London to be constructed since the completion of Alpha Tower, also in Birmingham, in 1973. Original building thumb|upright|The original NatWest Tower at 103 Colmore Row The original building was a 23-storey structure with entrances on Colmore Row and Newhall Street. Designed by John Madin, it is of the Brutalist style, contrasting the traditional Victorian architectural styles in the immediate area. Although, the pre-cast concrete panels on the exterior, which were common on commercial buildings of the time, rather than in-situ concrete did make the building differ from classic Brutalism. Designs for the building were first publicised in 1964 and it was remarked that it had drawn inspiration from the University of Pittsburgh by Louis Kahn. The designs showed a two-storey banking hall with a rectangular tower with horizontal ribbon windows. It also showed a service tower facing on to Newhall Street. This design differed significantly to the one that was approved by Birmingham City Council.English Heritage (Listing) Advisory, M. Bellamy, 9 May 2008. Published by Birmingham City Council on planning application number C/02353/08/FUL. Retrieved 30 November 2008. The scheme also included a five-storey office block to the west of the site that was separated from it by an L-shaped courtyard. This office block was later reclad and increased to eight storeys in 1996-7 so that it reads as a separate building. The entire scheme was named the "Colmore Centre".Supporting Statement PPG15 Report, published with planning application number C/02353/08/FUL. Published 28 April 2008 by Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 30 November 2008. The first phase of the scheme, which consisted of the construction of the banking hall, was completed in 1969. Construction of the tower began in 1973 and was completed three years later at a total cost of £3.5 million. The building was constructed so that it was not solely occupied by the National Westminster Bank, but could also be let to tenants so that the bank could maximise the profitability of the site. However, the building proved difficult to let and was never fully occupied; the only other major corporation to take office space in the tower was Eversheds.Letter from Andrew Round of GVA Grimley, received by Birmingham City Council (9 May 2008). Retrieved 30 November 2008.November 2024 The building had been vacant since 2003. There were numerous features of note, including the original aluminium-cast banking hall doors, created and made by Henry Haig (1930 – 6 December 2007), who was an English abstract artist, painter and sculptor, notable predominantly for his stained glass work.November 2024 The doors consisted of an abstract triangle design based on the NatWest logo and were painted to resemble bronze. The banking hall itself had a coffered ceiling of plasterboard covered in gold leaf and Travertine marble floors and skirtings. The exterior was covered in abstract plaster murals and bronze matt ceramic tiles. The lift shaft and two ventilation towers were constructed using brick.http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ELibrary?E_LIBRARY_ID=59&a=1134944545704 Shaping the Seventies: 1970s Architecture in Birmingham Birmingham City Council Department of Planning and Architecture Birmingham City Council 1998 PDF 29 November 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181807/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ELibrary?E_LIBRARY_ID=59&a=1134944545704 30 September 2007 The structure was constructed of precast concrete with waffle concrete floor slabs. There were four plant floors at the top of the tower and 100 car park spaces in a basement car park that became disused upon the discovery of asbestos. The office block was accessed via a stainless steel surround doorway on Newhall Street, where the land began to drop, exposing the ventilation grills for the basement. The entrance here appearedNovember 2024 to be of a later date to the rest of the building. The office block had a service core at the centre of each floor, consisting of a large service duct, lavatories, four lift shafts and staircase. The lifts had stainless steel doors and the lift lobby had Travertine panelling on the walls. There was a kitchen on the twentieth floor which retained its original green panels and equipment, such as the dumbwaiter. The NatWest logo was originally attached to the west side of the building, although it was later removed leaving only the bracketing. It is believedNovember 2024 that considerable efforts were made to reduce the cost of the tower's construction, which took place during a time when rising oil prices ended the development boom of the 1960s making an increasingly hostile economic climate. Examples of cost-cutting measures employed during the construction of the building include the use of plasterboard to mimic concrete on the banking hall's ceiling and the use of an alternative metal to bronze for the banking hall doors. The building was a prominent feature on the Birmingham skyline until its demolition. It was also one of the most modern buildings and the tallest structure in the Colmore Row and Environs Conservation Area, and became a frequent perching point for the city centre's peregrine falcons. Architectural critic Andy Foster described the building as being "the most important Brutalist commercial building in the city, disastrous in context but with its own tremendous integrity."Foster Andy Birmingham Yale University Press New Haven and London 2007 2 Pevsner Architectural Guides Colmore Row 978-0-300-10731-9 95 Approved replacement In December 2006 British Land acquired the freehold of the tower from Omega Land for £25 million. A planning application was submitted in April 2008 for demolition of the existing tower and replacement with a 35-storey office building with ground floor retail. The proposed building would be 134.5 m to roof level and 159.5 m to the top of a light mast on the side of the tower. Designed by Hamilton Architects the projected cost was £160 million.http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/tm_headline=british-land-snaps-up-natwest-building&method=full&objectid=18489734&siteid=50002-name_page.html British Land snaps up NatWest building Pain Steve 17 January 2007 The Birmingham Post 29 November 2008 21 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110521232541/http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/tm_headline%3Dbritish-land-snaps-up-natwest-building%26method%3Dfull%26objectid%3D18489734%26siteid%3D50002-name_page.html dead http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=102082 Iconic tower wins approval Nickolds Neil 29 September 2008 Emporis 29 November 2008 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120225201116/http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=102082 25 February 2012 http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/tm_headline=160-million-office-plan-for-natwest-site&method=full&objectid=19915473&siteid=50002-name_page.html £160 million office plan for NatWest site Dale Paul 8 October 2007 The Birmingham Post 29 November 2008 21 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110521232618/http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/tm_headline%3D160-million-office-plan-for-natwest-site%26method%3Dfull%26objectid%3D19915473%26siteid%3D50002-name_page.html dead http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/2008/04/29/plans-revealed-for-new-birmingham-tower-at-colmore-row-65233-20833120/ Plans revealed for new Colmore Row tower Paul Dale The Birmingham Post 29 April 2008 29 April 2008 21 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110521222055/http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/2008/04/29/plans-revealed-for-new-birmingham-tower-at-colmore-row-65233-20833120/ dead The proposal initially received the backing of the Birmingham Civic Society who said that they were 90% happy with the design, however the organisation reversed their decision. The project also met objections from the Twentieth Century Society and the Victorian Society who commented that they were "extremely disappointed" with the proposal. After the public consultation, unsuccessful efforts were made to grant the building listed status from English Heritage. It was concluded that the building had good qualities of massing but lacked the high degree of sophisticated architectural detailing that would be expected of a building from this period. They also said that modifications made to the building in the 1990s had considerably compromised the building's architecture and that the interior lacked coherence, although they did comment that the interior of the banking hall did contain many interesting original features. The building received a Certificate of Immunity from Listing in October 2008 which would last until October 2013.1396628 NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK Certificate of Immunity 22 September 2015http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/birmingham-columnists/iron-angle-birmingham-cc/2008/07/26/civic-society-in-a-muddle-over-colmore-row-65233-21406561/ Civic Society in a muddle over Colmore Row Dale Paul 26 July 2008 The Birmingham Post 29 November 2008 29 August 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080829144906/http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/birmingham-columnists/iron-angle-birmingham-cc/2008/07/26/civic-society-in-a-muddle-over-colmore-row-65233-21406561/ dead http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2008/04/29/too-big-tower-angers-victorian-society-97319-20837274/ 'Too big' tower angers Victorian Society 29 May 2008 Birmingham Mail 29 November 2008 22 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110522011048/http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2008/04/29/too-big-tower-angers-victorian-society-97319-20837274/ dead The proposal received planning permission from Birmingham City Council in September 2008. It was closely contested with six councillors voting against the scheme and seven voting for it. Due to the effects of the 2008 financial crisis, British Land could not progress the approved scheme, planning permission expired in 2011 and the building was sold in 2014. New ownership On 29 September 2014 the building received another Certificate of Immunity from Listing to be effective until 28 September 2019.1420596 NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK Certificate of Immunity 22 September 2015 In its report, English Heritage stated: "while the component parts of the building are well grouped and form an effective addition to the streetscape of this part of central Birmingham and to the skyline, the building has however been considerably altered and no longer forms the cogent grouping which was initially created. The remaining parts of the building do not have the detailed finish or overall architectural quality which would be expected of a structure of this date which was recommended for designation. The repetition of the pre-cast panels across the building creates an impression of regimentation and the turning of the corners is poorly handled. This is particularly apparent on the bank building, where the external treatment of the third floor is ungainly and the edges of the canted corners appear unduly clumsy and unresolved. And while the interior of the banking hall is of interest, it is not matched by the interiors elsewhere, which lack coherence and aesthetic quality."English Heritage Advice Report, 11 July 2014. Case Name: National Westminster Bank, 103 Colmore Row and 10 Newhall Street, Birmingham. Case Number: 1417957 In November 2014 owners British Land sold the building to Sterling Property Ventures and Rockspring as development partners. The purchase price was not disclosed however it is thought to be in the region of £15 million.https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/natwest-tower-developers-hit-out-8876387 NatWest Tower developers hit out at council after plans refused Graeme Brown 19 March 2015 Business Live In June 2015 a planning application was submitted to demolish the existing tower and replace with a new 26 storey tower. The proposed £60 million steel, aluminium and glazed building, designed by Doone Silver Kerr, will provide a net floor area of 211000 sqft m2 flip. The building will be the tallest office building in Birmingham at 108 metres. It will comprise 196000 sqft m2 flip of office space over 19 floors, with floor plates up to 11500 sqft m2 flip, and a terrace on the 18th level. A restaurant and retail will be provided at street level and a double height 8600 sqft m2 flip restaurant will be located at the top of the building. In all, the proposals outline 15000 sqft m2 flip of leisure space.https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/new-vision-natwest-tower-demolition-8855786 New vision for NatWest Tower with demolition set to start, 17 March 2015 The Birmingham Post 17 March 2015 22 September 2015https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/719612-plans-for-new-landmark-tower-unveiled.html Plans for new landmark tower unveiled, 17 March 2015 The Business Desk 22 September 2015 The existing cast aluminium Natwest banking hall doors created and made by Henry Haig, will be incorporated into the new building in a prominent publicly accessible space at the request of the Haig family. Demolition and construction thumb|Demolition tower crane installed in 2015 thumb|The new building under construction in July 2020 Initial scaffolding for demolition began to be erected in July 2015 and a tower crane was installed on 20 September 2015. Demolition took place between September 2015 and January 2017.http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/135980-/ 103 Colmore Row demolition put on hold, 20 March 2015 Insider Media Limited 19 March 2015 22 September 2015 In February 2018 it was announced that Royal BAM Group had won an £80 million contract to build the new tower. Work started in June 2019, with a completion date of 2021.103 Colmore Row construction to start this summer https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/103-colmore-row-construction-start-14278170 12 February 2018 Birmingham Post 12 February 2018 Birmingham See also List of tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham References 30em External links Skyscrapernews entry on the tower https://web.archive.org/web/20110607104933/http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=224 7 June 2011 Emporis: NatWest Tower https://archive.today/20130409023557/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=natwesttower-birmingham-unitedkingdom Emporis: 103 Colmore Row el Skyscraperpage entry 103 Colmore Row, Birmingham – Website P/UC Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1976 Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2017 Category:Brutalist architecture in England Category:Skyscrapers in Birmingham, West Midlands Category:1976 establishments in England Category:Skyscraper office buildings in England Category:Demolished buildings and structures in the West Midlands (county) Category:NatWest Group