Post and Mail building, Birmingham
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2016) |
| Birmingham Post and Mail Building | |
|---|---|
 The corner of the remaining building. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | Modernist |
| Location | Colmore Circus, Birmingham, England |
| Coordinates | 52°29′1.57″N 1°53′46.04″W / 52.4837694°N 1.8961222°W |
| Completed | 1964 |
| Demolished | 2005 |
| Height | 67 metres (220 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 16 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | John Madin |
The Birmingham Post and Mail building was constructed in the 1960s and was a symbol of the rebuilding of Birmingham, England, following the devastation of World War II.
The Birmingham Post and Mail building was designed in 1960 by John H.D. Madin and Partners (partner in charge, D.V. Smith, project architects Ronald E. Cordin and Ramon K. Wood).. It’s an early example of a podium and slab block, inspired by the Lever Building in New York. It is also now the earliest surviving example of the type nationally as the Castrol Building in London has been altered and re-faced. But it’s more than just an office block, it’s an integrated newspaper production facility with the podium and slab offices linked to a separately treated but very fine attached printing works. [1]
Construction and lifetime
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Designed in 1960 by John H.D. Madin and Partners (partner in charge, D.V. Smith, project architects Ronald E. Cordin and Ramon K. Wood). It was one of the earliest buildings to follow the podium and slab block form of architecture inspired by Lever House in New York City and it became the oldest example of such architecture in the UK once the Castrol Building in London had been redeveloped. It was home to the Birmingham Post and Evening Mail newspapers following its completion in 1964.
The tower had a concrete core surrounded by a steel structure designed by Structural Engineers (Roy Bolsover and Associates) who were also the engineers on many other landmark buildings in the Birmingham area during this period. The tower was clad in aluminium. The concrete beams in the podium were clad in black Argentine granite enclosing fillets of white Sicilian marble.
At the time of completion, it was hailed as great achievement by Douglas Hickman in his book Birmingham published in 1970 on buildings in Birmingham. John H.D. Madin and Partners used it as their greatest achievement along with Birmingham Central Library which was completed ten years after the Post and Mail building.
The entrance hall to the tower was located at the left hand end of the podium. To the left of the editorial block is the printing works with a composing room at top, a two-storey publishing area below it, and a machine hall in a deep basement.
Demolition and redevelopment
[edit] | This section needs to be updated. (September 2017) |
Over the decades, Birmingham has undergone extensive redevelopment, with numerous landmark buildings and structures being demolished to make way for modern infrastructure. Among the most notable transformations was the original Bull Ring shopping centre, remembered for its central courtyard and surrounding escalators, which was replaced by a new development in the early 2000s.
The Camp Hill Flyover, originally constructed as a temporary measure, stood for more than 25 years before its eventual demolition, altering traffic flow and the urban landscape in the process.
Significant change also occurred on the southern edge of the city with the closure of the Longbridge Rover works. Once a major site of automotive production for over a century, the factory was largely shut down in 2005 when MG Rover entered administration. Although the MG brand was revived in 2008, much of the original plant has since been redeveloped into residential and commercial space.
The city’s central library has also seen multiple iterations: from the original Victorian-era structure, to the Brutalist design by John Madin in Paradise, and finally to the current Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square, officially opened by Malala Yousafzai in 2013.
Each of these changes has reshaped the city’s identity—reflecting shifts in architecture, industry, and civic priorities over time.[2]
The original building was demolished between 2005 and 2006. The new development was undertaken by Chatham Billingham Investments and incorporated a below ground 752-space car park, 31,600 sq.ft of retail space, 7-storeys of grade A office space (245,630 sq.ft), and 7-storeys of residential space including for 115 apartments and 10 penthouse apartments.[3] The first phase of the redevelopment was undertaken by Balfour Beatty Construction, which included the below ground car park levels, and 3 above ground floors including for a new arcade and the retail spaces, as well as future shell and core entrances for the future offices and residential floors. The work was largely completed by summer 2015 with the car park open for business shortly thereafter.
Planning approval for the future phases (phase 2) was granted by Birmingham City Council in July 2015.[3] Construction work is expected to restart in 2016 with completion expected to be in 2018.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Birmingham Post and Mail Building – The Twentieth Century Society". c20society.org.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Queenborough, Marcus (28 October 2023). "Birmingham's buildings lost forever - from sublime to ridiculous". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Birmingham Post article". 24 July 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
External links
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- The Twentieth Century Society.org: Birmingham Post and Mail building
- Emporis entry: Post and Mail building, Birmingham[usurped]
- Birmingham Post & Mail Redevelopment
- The Birmingham Post and Mail Building
