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1. Architecture of
Birmingham

2. There is a large variety of different
architecture in and around Birmingham.
Birmingham has been an established city for
some time now, however many of the
buildings are a product of the 18th, 19th and
20th century with minimal building surviving
from early history.

3. Medieval Architecture
The only complete surviving building
in Birmingham is the Old Crown pub located
in Digbeth. It was built in the 15th
century. Originally built as the hall of the
Guide of St John, Deritend. It is a grade II
listed building and still retains its black and
white timber frame.

4. Georgian and Regency architecture
Due to the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham
began to expand during the 18th
century. The growing population led to more
people attending church, and with that the St.
Phillips cathedral was established. This was
designed by Thomas Archer in 1715.

5. Victorian architecture
The financial springs brought from the industrial
revolution provided Victorian Birmingham the funds
it needed to develop the cities buildings. The use of
neoclassical architecture was carried into this time
period. The most well known Victorian building in
Birmingham is the Birmingham Town Hall. Designed by
Joseph Hansom and Edward Welch in 1834. Charles
Edge was commissioned to repair the weakness to
the design of the building in 1835 and was also
commissioned for the extension of the building in 1837
and then again in 1850.

6. The Gothic Revival
Gothic architecture had been used for picturesque
decor in England throughout the 17th &
18th centuries. This continued through the 19th
century with a Birmingham example being
Metchley Abby in Harbourne.
One of the most influential figures of the Gothic
Revival in both Birmingham and worldwide was
Augustus Pugin. Pugin came to Birmingham to design
the Gothic detailing for Charles Barry’s rebuilding of
King Edward’s School in 1833. This was the first
building in Birmingham to demonstrate the scholar
use of Gothic.

7. High Victorian Architecture
The beginning of High Victorian architecture in
Birmingham took place in 1855 with the completion of 12
Ampton Road, Edgbaston designed by John Henry
Chamberlain. The use of red brick and terracotta started
during this period. Birmingham lacked in natural stone
and terracotta was a good substitute. A good example of
this being used is the red brick and terracotta Victorian
Law courts on corporation street which was designed by
Sir Aston Webb and Ingress Bell.

8. Edwardian and Inter-war
The use of red brick enlightened the path to color
glazed terracotta. An example is the Trocadero in Temple
Street which was created in 1902 and also
the Piccadilly arcade, completed in 1909 as a cinema on
New Street.
The use of red brick enlightened the path to color
glazed terracotta. An example is the Trocadero in Temple
Street which was created in 1902 and also
the Piccadilly arcade, completed in 1909 as a cinema on
New Street.

9. Post-World War II Architecture
Due to the industrial importance in Birmingham led to the World War 2
bombings causing a lot of destruction to the buildings. The Public Works
Department of Birmingham City Council established a city engineer to
help reconstruct housing and public facilities. Thus meaning Sir
Herbert Mazzini (the city engineer and surveyor) became very influential.
Demand for offices had soared with businesses wanting large office
blocks compared to previous small office buildings. High rise office blocks
were created in basic shapes like cuboids. The ‘Big Top’ was created in
the late 1950s and became Birmingham’s biggest office building and the
first shopping centre.

10. John Madin and Brutalism
John Madin and his architecture made an impact
on the city from the 1960s through to the late
1970s. Birmingham Central Library is one of his
best known buildings. Another being the inverted
concrete ziggurat in the brutalist style. Prince
Charles described the library as a “place for
burning books, rather than keeping them”.

11. Contemporary and Modern Architecture
Regeneration through Broad Street and Brindley Place
began in early 1990s bringing a whole new period of
construction. It included offices and other mixed use
buildings designed by separate architects including the
National Sea Life Centre.
A building from Birmingham that is largely recognized is
the bubbly Bullring from the Selfridges store. This
building was on of the first to use the ‘blobitecture‘ style.
A lot of the modern architecture around the United
Kingdom is found in Birmingham.

12. The series of architecture shows how the types of
buildings have changed immensely over time and
the different styles and materials that have been
introduced and used.
By Glocal Residential - thank you for reading! And
we would love to know which your favorite part of
architecture is in Birmingham. Is it the new library,
the custard factory, the grand central? Let us
know!