Introducing 211 Broad Street - a 36 storey glass build in Birmingham

Another great article from Stephen Giles, one of our people with passion in Birmingham who's following all the builds across the City.  Here Stephen introduces us to the glass tower planned at 211 Broad Street.

A new 36-storey glass tower is set join the high-rise club on Broad Street after plans were revealed recently.

Taylor Grange Developments, a Birmingham based property developer, plan to construct a ‘super slender’ block of 264 serviced apartments with hotel facilities, on land at 211 Broad Street.

The scheme has been designed by Broad Street trend-setters, Glancy Nicholls Architects, with Court Collaboration as development manager.

The project will see 33 storeys of serviced apartments with three floors of podium space intended for retail, food and drink outlets, along with a residents' lounge and gym.

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/211 Broad Street Artist Impressions (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

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dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/211 Broad Street Artist Impressions (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Artist Impressions from Glancy Nicholls Architects

The development will be operated by an international hotel brand, who will bring a brand new presence to Birmingham.

No parking provision will be allocated, which has been deemed acceptable by Planning Officers, due to the Midland Metro Westside Phase 2 tram extension arriving in 2021.

Appropriate cycle storage will be incorporated into the scheme instead.

FIRST UP: DEMOLITION

Today, the site is currently occupied by the unlisted Transport House and 117-118 Tennant Street at the rear. Both have been vacant since 2015 and will be not be retained.

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/TWGU House - 211 Broad Street.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Transport House: Image by Graham Young

They have been fully assessed, with both concluded as having low importance of evidential value, and not holding any significance worthy of preservation.

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/TWGU House - 211 Broad Street 1.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Rear of Transport House: Image by Graham Young

'SUPER-SLENDER'

The application has evolved from 32 floors to 36, with the Council welcoming the design, glass and of course, the height, with a real belief that the proposal brings out the best out of the site.

And this rings true. The narrow width of the site necessitates an efficient use of the land, given the compact nature of the site.

At an incredible 9.5m in width, 211 Broad Street represents a unique opportunity for a high density ‘super-slender’ tower to not only maximise the site, but to further enhance the skyline.

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/211 Broad Street Artist Impressions (6).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Artist Impression from Glancy Nicholls Architects

There will be 8 apartments per floor, signage - presumably for the hotel operator - and a crown parapet level, taking the entire building, from base to top, up to 116.5 metres tall.

ARCHITECTURAL RELATIONSHIP

The scale of 211 Broad Street is a direct response to the built context of its surroundings.

The building will provide a natural step down from Moda, or a step up from Hilton, depending on which perspective you look from.

The connection not only comes from its height, but also through a shared rhythm of podiums and active lower levels.

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dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/211 Broad Street Artist Impressions (8).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/211 Broad Street Artist Impressions (11).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Artist Impressions from Glancy Nicholls Architects

Another crucial component of the development is this active frontage facing onto Tennant Street (see below). Cycle parking is likely to be based just within.

Once a non-descript street, with little in the way of character, is now quickly becoming a crucial cog in the revitalisation of the area.

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/211 Broad Street Artist Impressions (12).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Artist Impression from Glancy Nicholls Architects

THE FACADE 

A unitised façade system will take pride of place and give the building a glass box effect, thus maximising the views out of the window. It'll ooze simpleness.

No openable windows are proposed, so the architects have once again incorporated a slot vent system into their proposal.

The system allows fresh air in, and fresh air to go out. It will be incorporated into the spandrel panels on the glazing, which has been meticulously designed to minimise the impact on the façade.

SITE CONSTRAINTS

Like any site, it'll have to overcome a wide range of issues. This development is no exception.

Noise: Broad Street is the entertainment capital of the Midlands, which of course brings a few extra added layers of decibels with it.

The street has a wide array of facilities within close proximity to each other, high spec noise insulation will need to be implemented to ensure a high quality scheme remains so.

Proximity: 29m is all that separates 211 Broad Street from The Mercian next door, and just 10m from The Mercian's fourteen-storey shoulder. 

In the other direction, Hampton by Hilton lies within 30m.

During pre-app talks, the issue of overlooking onto MODA's rented units was established. The issue has since been remedied, with an agreement in place to reposition serviced apartments away from prying eyes.

Buildability: The sites narrowness poses a constraint, and then you've got crane(s) to contend with. A level of technical and structural innovation will be required to build this.

EXTERNAL LIGHTING & SIGNAGE

The building will feature an two extra storeys of plant level, featuring potential integrated hotel signage and a crown feature - arguably the most visible element of the entire building.

The glazed middle, however, will not be externally lit but will instead rely on internal lighting from within the apartments.

The crown will naturally hide the BMU unit (Building Maintenance Unit) and lift overruns.

This also has the potential to be visually permeable at night. 

Precedents used by the architect include 610 Lexington Avenue, in New York City.

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Foster & Partners.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Image by Foster & Partners

The podium will also be lit from within, providing a clean, active frontage onto the busy street.

We’ll find out how these plans pan out as the application evolves over the coming months. 

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Untitled.png" style="width: 100%;" />Artist Impression from Glancy Nicholls Architects

Watch this space!

Next up: 100 Broad Street