Although Birmingham has existed as a settlement for over a thousand years, today’s city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as the real growth of the city began with the Industrial Revolution. Consequently, relatively few buildings survive from its earlier history.

Traces of medieval Birmingham can be seen in the oldest churches, notably the original parish church, St Martin’s in the Bullring, where a church has stood since at least the 12th century. The current church (begun around 1290) was extensively re-built in the 1870s, retaining some original walls and foundations. A few other buildings from the medieval and Tudor periods survive, among them The Old Crown public house in Digbeth, the 15th century Saracen’s Head public house and Old Grammar School in Kings Norton and Blakesley Hall in Yardley.

The city grew rapidly from Georgian times and a number of buildings survive from this period. Among them are St Philip’s Cathedral, originally built as a parish church, St Paul’s Church in the largely Georgian St Paul’s Square, Soho House in Handsworth, the home of Matthew Boulton, and Perrott’s Folly in Ladywood (which is said to have later inspired J. R. R. Tolkien).

The Victorian era saw extensive building across the city. Major public buildings such as the Town Hall, the Law Courts, the Council House (see picture) and the Museum and Art Gallery were constructed, many under the auspices of Joseph Chamberlain’s reforming mayoralty. Saint Chad’s Cathedral, built in 1839 by Augustus Pugin, was the first Roman Catholic Cathederal to be built in the UK since the Reformation. The characteristic materials of Victorian Birmingham are red brick and terracotta, and many fine Victorian buildings have been retained on New Street and Corporation Street in the city centre. Across the city, the need to house the industrial workers gave rise to miles of redbrick streets and terraces, many of back-to-back houses, some of which were later to become inner-city slums..

Continued population growth in the interwar period, saw vast estates of semi-detached houses being built on greenfield land in outlying parts of the city such as Kingstanding and Weoley Castle, but the coming of World War II and the Blitz claimed many lives and many beautiful buildings too. However, the destruction that took place in post-war Birmingham was also extensive: dozens of fine Victorian buildings like the intricate glass-roofed Birmingham New Street Station, and the old Central Library, were razed in the 1950s and 1960s and replaced with modernist concrete buildings. In inner-city areas too, much Victorian housing was redeveloped and existing communities were relocated to tower block estates like Castle Vale.

The planning decisions of the post-war years were to have a profound effect on the image of Birmingham in subsequent decades, with the mix of ring roads, shopping malls and tower blocks often referred to as a ‘concrete jungle’. In more recent years, Birmingham has learnt from what many see as the mistakes of the 1960s and instituted the largest tower block demolition and renovation programmes anywhere in Europe. There has been a lot of new building in the city centre in recent years, including the award-winning Future Systems’ Selfridges building, an irregularly-shaped structure covered in thousands of reflective discs (see picture), the Brindleyplace development and the Millennium Point science and technology centre. Some fine architects hail from the city such as Glenn Howells and Ken Shuttleworth.

History

Birmingham grew out of dozens of small villages, towns and farmsteads, particularly during the Industrial Revolution. The need to house the many industrial workers that flocked to the city from other areas led to many Victorian streets and terraces of back-to-back houses, some of which were later to become inner-city slums.

Although Birmingham has existed as a settlement for over 1000 years, today’s city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, with relatively little surviving from its early history.

11 - 15th Century

St. Martin’s Church in the centre of the Bullring was Birmingham’s original parish church. A church has stood on the site since the 11th century. It was extensively re-built in the 1870s although retaining some original walls and foundations. Inside the church can be seen an effigy of Sir William de Bermingham - a medieval lord of the manor, dating from 1325. This is one of the few surviving links to Birmingham’s medieval past.

Some of the city’s older black and white timber buildings can still be seen today like The Old Crown public house in Digbeth, the ‘Stone’ public house in Northfield and Stratford House in Sparkbrook.

Many Georgian, Tudor, Edwardian and Elizabethan buildings still survive dotted around the city. These include Bournbrook Hall (Bournville), Selly Manor (a Tudor manor house), Minworth Greaves (a medieval hall), the 15th Century “Saracen’s Head” and “Old Grammar School” (both Kings Norton), Handsworth Old Town Hall (1460; an example of early cruck timber frame construction), Soho House (Handsworth, 1766), and the 29m metre high Perrot’s Folly, Ladywood which was built in 1758 by John Perrot and which was an inspiration to Tolkien. There is also Blakesley Hall in Yardley which was built in the 1500s.

18 - 19th Century

The Victorian era saw an extensive building programme right across the city, examples of which can still be seen, with many churches and public buildings like the Birmingham Law Courts, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, the Town Hall and the City of Birmingham Council House. Many of the public buildings were built using red brick and terracotta. New Street and Corporation Street in the city centre have retained many of their fine Victorian buildings, providing an insight into how the city once looked.

Part of the legacy of a unique aspect to the Victorian era can be followed in Birmingham by the survival of the Green men of Birmingham or foliate heads which consist of many unusual human heads carved of stone with vegetation growing out of their faces and can be found at selected locations across the city.

Post War Architecture

Birmingham’s industrial importance in World War II led to some of the heaviest bombing raids during the Blitz. This claimed many lives and many beautiful buildings too, but the destruction that took place in post war Birmingham was also extensive: dozens of fine Victorian buildings like the intricate glass-roofed Birmingham New Street Station, and the old Central Library, were destroyed in the 1950s and 1960s. These planning decisions were to have a profound effect on the image of Birmingham in subsequent decades, with the mix of concrete ring roads, shopping malls and tower blocks often referred to as a ‘concrete jungle’ or a city with no soul.

Tall office towers within the city centre were constructed in the form of basic shapes such as cuboids. Many have now been demolished or renovated. However, numerous buildings still remain and are local landmarks on the city’s present skyline. For example The McLaren Building and Centre City Tower which were constructed towards the end of the 1960s/ early 1970s. The largest high-rise estate in Britain was constructed at Castle Vale with over 30 huge tower blocks in one small area. Birmingham has since learnt from this with one of the largest tower block demolition and renovation programmes anywhere in Europe, and the construction of new buildings, squares and green spaces. Tower blocks within the city centre itself which were constructed to promote ‘inner city living’ are now subject of demolition. One notable tower block is Stephenson Tower which is located near New Street Station. When New Street Station is renovated, the tower is expected to either be demolished or rejuvanated.

Surviving Buildings

Birmingham ’s grade I listed Town Hall closed to the public in 1996, for a £31 million City Council-initiated major renovation. The redbrick Victoria Law Courts in Corporation Street, built in 1887, and Curzon Street Station are also Grade I listed.

Many Grade II listed buildings also remain in the city, for instance the recently-listed, though empty, Grand Hotel on Colmore Row (1875, with additions in 1876, 1891 and 1895) and the popular 200ft-high Rotunda, a circular tower block at the South end of New Street. St Philip’s Cathedral, built as a parish church, is in the heart of the city, and has glass by Edward Burne-Jones, The City of Birmingham Council House (see picture above) is also Grade II listed.

Architects

Some fine architects hail from the city such as Glenn Howells and Ken Shuttleworth, who sketched the original designs for London’s 40 storey “gherkin” landmark, he worked on the London Millennium Bridge, the new Wembley Stadium and Ken Livingstone’s new City Hall. He is also working on Birmingham’s £7 million new bus station in Digbeth.

Recent Projects

One of the most recent buildings to be constructed and opened within the City Centre itself is Beetham Tower at Holloway Circus which was partially opened in January 2006. When topped out, it was the second tallest building in Birmingham at 122 metres, only being beaten by the BT Tower.

More up-to-date architecture includes the award winning Future Systems’ Selfridges building which is an irregularly-shaped structure, covered in thousands of reflective discs (see picture). Brindleyplace and Millennium Point are also examples of recent rejuvenation.

Future Projects

Many new projects are planned for the city, including a new Library of Birmingham in the developing Eastside. However, plans for this were shelved and the library will be split into two sites. The rest of the Eastside incorporate a development on Masshouse and the Curzon Street area which will feature a new city park. Other projects include John Rocha’s ‘fashion first’ Orion Tower on Navigation Street (under construction) and Arena Central on Broad Street.

Designs for a rebuild of New Street Station were made public in February 2006. They showed a naturally lit foyer set to cost approximately £500 million. However, problems were soon realised with a lack of funds available for the project.