Typhoo Wharf - BBC Birmingham & The Wider Site
A public consultation is now live for the future of Typhoo Wharf and its wider site.
The historic Typhoo Tea Factory is set to become home to BBC Birmingham in 2026, with the wider site potentially seeing up to 800K SF of new residential, offices, and hospitality uses.
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Birmingham’s own Glenn Howells Architects is working on a transformative masterplan (IYB map) that could see over 10 acres of underutilised land, around Typhoo Wharf in Digbeth, developed to house the BBC, along with new residential, offices, and hospitality uses.
The first phase will include the revival of the historic Typhoo Tea factory into a net-zero BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ broadcast centre for BBC Birmingham, who has agreed to move into the building, along with BBC Asian Network, BBC Newsbeat, as well as Midlands Today and BBC WM, in 2026.
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Looking further afield – five to 10 years – there is a comprehensive vision in place to regenerate the wider site, including the creation of a new canal side quarter centred around the unique and historic canal network, delivering a ‘green and healthy, walkable / cyclable city’, complemented by new residential, offices, and commercial uses.
All of this is to be integrated into the area’s transport infrastructure, including the Midland Metro tram, which will have a stop next to the site and will provide fluid connectivity to the forthcoming HS2 Curzon Street station – set to get underway in February 2023.
Other developing cultural and economic infrastructure just outside the confines of Typhoo Wharf include Stephen Knight’s Loc Studios, BBC’s new MasterChef studio, the Creative Content Hub, animation studios, and Birmingham Midland Academy – all a stone’s throw away.
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A public consultation is in its early stages – but it is now live for your consideration. It will run until Thursday 22 September 2022 and should Birmingham City Council give it the go ahead, construction is expected to start on site in spring 2023, ready for occupation by the BBC in 2026.
Typhoo Wharf, images from Glenn Howells Architects & BBC.