Selfridges Building, Birmingham
The Selfridges Building is a landmark building in Birmingham, England. The building is part of the Bullring Shopping Centre and houses Selfridges Department Store. The building was completed in 2003 at a cost of £60 million[1] and designed by the architecture firm Future Systems. It has a steel framework with sprayed concrete facade.[2] Since its construction, the building has become an iconic architectural landmark and seen as a major contribution to the regeneration of Birmingham.[3] It is included as a desktop background as part of the Architecture theme in Windows 7.
| Selfridges Building | |
|---|---|
.jpg) View from Park St car park | |
| |
| General information | |
| Type | Department Store |
| Architectural style | Blobitecture |
| Location | Park Street, Birmingham, England |
| Coordinates | 52°28′40.02″N 1°53′32.13″W |
| Construction started | 1999 |
| Completed | September 2003 |
| Cost | £60 million |
| Owner | Selfridges & Co. |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel framework with sprayed concrete facade |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Floor area | 14,864m² (160,000sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Jan Kaplický, Amanda Levete |
| Architecture firm | Future Systems |
| Structural engineer | Ove Arup & Partners |
| Services engineer | Ove Arup & Partners |
| Main contractor | Laing O'Rourke |
Architecture
The architecture firm Future Systems were appointed by Selfridge's then chief executive, Vittorio Radice, to design only the third store outside London. Although Selfridges was physically integrated with the Bullring Shopping Centre the client wanted a distinct design approach which would set the store apart from the rest of the development and become an instantly recognisable signpost for the brand.[1] The building's facade is curved, wrapping around the corner of Moor Street and Park Street. The facade comprises 15,000 anodised aluminium discs mounted on a blue background.
Awards
- RIBA Award for Architecture 2004
- Concrete Society Awards, Overall Winner 2004
- Structural Steel Awards 2004
- Royal Fine Art Commission Trust, Retail Innovation 2004
- Institution of Civil Engineers, Project Award Winner 2004
- Civic Trust Award 2004
- Retail Week Awards, Retail Destination of the Year 2004
Gallery
Detail of aluminium disc cladding
View from the Bull Ring
Road level view of building
Interior escalators
Side view of the building
References
- Flatman, Ben (2008), Birmingham: Shaping the City, RIBA Publishing, p. 147, ISBN 978-1-85946-245-4
- Selfridges Structural Frame, Steel Construction.org, archived from the original on 24 October 2010
- Brown, John Murray (28 September 2015). "Regeneration and quality woo savvy shoppers to Birmingham". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
External links
