Martineau Galleries
Encyclopedia
Martineau Galleries is an important proposed mixed-use development for Birmingham
, England
as it will connect the Eastside
to the city centre core and is also located on the High Street, a major retail area.
was located on the site in the 13th century. The entrance to the hospital was on what is now Bull Street, then Chapel Street, and ran along Steelhouse Lane, then Priory Congree. In 1536, the Priory was dissolved and the structures on site were demolished in 1547.
The site remained as ruins for 150 years until it was purchased by John Pemberton in 1700. John Pemberton developed the site around Old Square and created a residential district on the site. In the 18th century, the Barley Market moved from the Bullring
area to the junction of Bull Street and Dale End. In 1763, Sampson Lloyd
and John Taylor established a private banking business known as Taylors & Lloyds on the site which would develop into Lloyds Bank
.
The construction of Corporation Street
linked New Street
to Old Square and the area fast became a major area of the city centre. It became a tram terminus and new entertainment businesses were established in the area such as the Grand Theatre.
The site became a conglomerate of buildings accessed via back alleys. There were two hotels and five public house
s by 1890 as well as a chemical works on the Lower Priory. Dalton Street cut through the site however this street was removed during the 1960s development. On the eastern side of Dale End were houses and a school.
The construction of the Priory Queensway and Masshouse Circus
prompted a new wave of development in the area during the 1960s and 1970s with such buildings as The McLaren Building
and Londonderry House behind it. The construction of the Priory Queensway resulted in the demolition of the Grand Theatre and many other old derelict Victorian properties.
In the 1960s, the buildings between Corporation Street and Dale End were purchased and demolished. A new two storey shopping precinct of concrete
Brutalist architecture, designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd
, began construction there in 1963 and opened in 1966. It was constructed in phases. At the junction of Dale End and Bull Street, a ramp, known as Priory Close, was constructed giving access to a market area on the site of the Barley Market. A walkway was constructed from this market area through to the newly constructed Priory Queensway with shops either side. The complex consists of three buildings containing shops and department stores, all surrounding a pedestrian precinct. Below ground level was a ballroom, which has since been converted into the Oasis Market. Within the square itself, which was called Corporation Square, was an advertising tower located directly above the public staircase to the car park, an octagonal shaped seating arrangement and a kiosk.
The building still remains and businesses located within the block are Argos
. The major use for the block was the O2 Academy Birmingham before it moved to Bristol Street in 2009. This was formerly known as the "Hummingbird" and was located on what was the Rank Ballroom. Below this in an underground setting is the Oasis Market, a fashion market composed of small businesses. The block was named Priory Square, to reflect the history of the site, in the 1990s when it underwent a renovation which also saw the addition of a small clock tower
which chimes at the hour. Also part of the renovation was the installation of a glass roof above the walkway from the markets to Priory Queensway.
Priory Square lost business in the early 21st century as the Bull Ring Shopping Centre
and Martineau Place
were completed.
On the opposite side of Dale End, which occupies the site set for renovation, is a red brick 1970s midrise office
block known as either Dale House or Century House, a multi-storey car park and ground floor, with a mezzanine
level, retail
space. The ground floor was occupied by a Toys 'R' Us store however this was closed in Summer 2006. This part of the site is also bounded by The Priory Queensway and Moor Street Queensway.
. It was given an application number of C/07564/05/OUT by Birmingham City Council's Planning Department. The proposal summary was:
The masterplan was designed by RTKL-UK Ltd
. Engineers WSP
produced the means of access plan in the planning application. A cheque of £9,345 made payable to Birmingham City Council was submitted with application to cover the planning fees. A notice was placed in the December 5, 2005 edition of the Birmingham Post
by the agents, Drivers Jonas, to make the public aware of the proposals. The scheme was granted outline planning consent on December 21, 2006.
Demolition of the present buildings is believed to commence in 2007 however it is possible it will begin in 2008 when the lease to the premises in the Oasis Market expires. Construction is expected to take three years as it is being constructed as a single phase therefore making the completion date either 2010 or 2011.
The Toys 'R' Us store on Dale End has already found a new location and the office block is being emptied. The Argos store is also beginning to empty yet is still in operation until demolition begins. The Carling Academy is set to move to the former Dome nightclub premises on Bristol Street in 2009. Oasis Market will be forced to shut down or relocate as well as the small businesses on the street level. The rooftop market is slowly shutting down however it is unknown whether this is due to pressure by the developers or natural deterioration. A Virgin Megastore
on the corner with Bull Street and Corporation Street shut down in 2005 however the retail space was put up for let soon after. Virgin Megastore relocated to new premises next to the Pavilions Shopping Centre on High Street and the retail space became Omega Sektor
which closed in 2008.
Interest was raised in the environmental surveying of the site by the developers who discovered that six species of birds which are listed in the RSPB's species of particular interest had established a habitat on the site. However, after further research, it was noted that these species of birds were common in city centres.
.
The development will witness the realignment of streets and creation of pedestrianised streets on the site and the developers suggested the following for the public squares and roads in the outline planning application:
There are also proposals for highway works which brings the total area of the site to 14.3 acres (57,870.1 m²).
As the development includes the demolition of a regularly used car park, a replacement car park with a maximum of 2,550 spaces has also been proposed
The estimated cost of the development is £550 million and 6000 jobs are expected to be created. The development is being worked on by Advantage West Midlands
and the Birmingham Alliance.
Developments nearby include the large Masshouse
development on the opposite side of The Priory Queensway and City Park Gate opposite on the Moor Street Queensway. Cannon House on the opposite side of Old Square recently underwent a major refurbishment into Grade A office space.
The site covers 274,605m² and it is expected that 4,700 permanent jobs will be created as a result of the development. If a hotel is included in the development then the number may increase to 6,000. An average of 750 to 800 jobs are expected to be created during construction work.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as it will connect the Eastside
Eastside, Birmingham
Eastside is a district of Birmingham City Centre, England currently undergoing a major redevelopment project. The overall cost when completed is expected to be £6–8 billion over a period of ten years which will result in the creation of 12,000 jobs. 8,000 jobs are expected to be created during the...
to the city centre core and is also located on the High Street, a major retail area.
Pre-1960s development
It is known that the Augustian Priory of St Thomas of CanterburyPriory of St Thomas of Canterbury, Birmingham
The Priory or Hospital of St Thomas of Canterbury was a house of Augustinian canons in medieval Birmingham. The institution is referred to in sources as either a priory or a hospital, but the two roles were often overlapping or interchangeable during the medieval period, as all monastic...
was located on the site in the 13th century. The entrance to the hospital was on what is now Bull Street, then Chapel Street, and ran along Steelhouse Lane, then Priory Congree. In 1536, the Priory was dissolved and the structures on site were demolished in 1547.
The site remained as ruins for 150 years until it was purchased by John Pemberton in 1700. John Pemberton developed the site around Old Square and created a residential district on the site. In the 18th century, the Barley Market moved from the Bullring
Bullring, Birmingham
The Bull Ring is a major commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held...
area to the junction of Bull Street and Dale End. In 1763, Sampson Lloyd
Sampson Lloyd
There are three generations of Sampson Lloyd in the Lloyd family of Birmingham, England. The second co-founded Lloyds Bank.Sampson Lloyd I and Mary , Quakers of Welsh origin, moved from their Leominster, Herefordshire farm in 1698 to Edgbaston Street in Birmingham.After the death of Sampson I in...
and John Taylor established a private banking business known as Taylors & Lloyds on the site which would develop into Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank Plc was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1765 until its merger into Lloyds TSB in 1995; it remains a registered company but is currently dormant. It expanded during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and took over a number of smaller banking companies...
.
The construction of Corporation Street
Corporation Street, Birmingham
Corporation Street is a main shopping street in Birmingham city centre, England.It runs from the law courts at its northern end to the centre of New Street at its southern.- Planning :...
linked New Street
New Street, Birmingham
New Street is a street in central Birmingham, England . It is one of the city's principal thoroughfares and shopping streets. Named after it is Birmingham New Street Station, although that does not have an entrance on New Street except through the Pallasades Shopping Centre.-History:New Street is...
to Old Square and the area fast became a major area of the city centre. It became a tram terminus and new entertainment businesses were established in the area such as the Grand Theatre.
The site became a conglomerate of buildings accessed via back alleys. There were two hotels and five public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s by 1890 as well as a chemical works on the Lower Priory. Dalton Street cut through the site however this street was removed during the 1960s development. On the eastern side of Dale End were houses and a school.
Development of the 1960s
Masshouse
Masshouse is a site within Birmingham, United Kingdom which is under development with the construction of 13 new highrise blocks intended for public services, commerce and residential purposes. When completed, the blocks will have a prominent position on the Eastside skyline.-History:The Masshouse...
prompted a new wave of development in the area during the 1960s and 1970s with such buildings as The McLaren Building
The McLaren Building
The McLaren Building is a 69 metre, 21 storey tall office building in Birmingham 4, England. Designed by Philip Bonham Associates and built in 1972, it is a retro thin brown office building. Current tenants include , , Scott Wilson, URS Corporation, UNISON and Birmingham City Council's Eastside...
and Londonderry House behind it. The construction of the Priory Queensway resulted in the demolition of the Grand Theatre and many other old derelict Victorian properties.
In the 1960s, the buildings between Corporation Street and Dale End were purchased and demolished. A new two storey shopping precinct of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
Brutalist architecture, designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd
Frederick Gibberd
Sir Frederick Ernest Gibberd was an English architect and landscape designer.Gibberd was born in Coventry, the eldest of the five children of a local tailor, and was educated at the city's King Henry VIII School...
, began construction there in 1963 and opened in 1966. It was constructed in phases. At the junction of Dale End and Bull Street, a ramp, known as Priory Close, was constructed giving access to a market area on the site of the Barley Market. A walkway was constructed from this market area through to the newly constructed Priory Queensway with shops either side. The complex consists of three buildings containing shops and department stores, all surrounding a pedestrian precinct. Below ground level was a ballroom, which has since been converted into the Oasis Market. Within the square itself, which was called Corporation Square, was an advertising tower located directly above the public staircase to the car park, an octagonal shaped seating arrangement and a kiosk.
The building still remains and businesses located within the block are Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
. The major use for the block was the O2 Academy Birmingham before it moved to Bristol Street in 2009. This was formerly known as the "Hummingbird" and was located on what was the Rank Ballroom. Below this in an underground setting is the Oasis Market, a fashion market composed of small businesses. The block was named Priory Square, to reflect the history of the site, in the 1990s when it underwent a renovation which also saw the addition of a small clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
which chimes at the hour. Also part of the renovation was the installation of a glass roof above the walkway from the markets to Priory Queensway.
Priory Square lost business in the early 21st century as the Bull Ring Shopping Centre
Bullring, Birmingham
The Bull Ring is a major commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held...
and Martineau Place
Martineau Place
Martineau Place is a shopping centre located in the city centre of Birmingham, England. It is located on land bounded by High Street, Union Street, Bull Street and Corporation Street and is directly opposite House of Fraser, formerly known as Rackhams....
were completed.
On the opposite side of Dale End, which occupies the site set for renovation, is a red brick 1970s midrise office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
block known as either Dale House or Century House, a multi-storey car park and ground floor, with a mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
level, retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
space. The ground floor was occupied by a Toys 'R' Us store however this was closed in Summer 2006. This part of the site is also bounded by The Priory Queensway and Moor Street Queensway.
Planning history
An outline planning application for the development was submitted on December 6, 2005 by Drivers JonasDrivers Jonas
Drivers Jonas was a longstanding private partnership of chartered surveyors in the United Kingdom. It was among the oldest firms of its kind in the world, having been founded in 1725. It was known for its public sector work, with contracts in defence, county councils, government offices and...
. It was given an application number of C/07564/05/OUT by Birmingham City Council's Planning Department. The proposal summary was:
Outline planning application, including the approval of access, for the construction of a major mixed use development of up to 266,000 square metres gross internal area, comprising retail, food and drink, offices, leisure, residential, hotel, cultural facility, casino, associated car parking, highway works, service areas, public spaces, and infrastructure [Including Use Classes A1 (Retail), A2 (Financial and Professional Services), A3 (Restaurants & Cafes), A4 (Drinking Establishments), B1 (Business), C1 (Hotels), C3 (Residential), D1 (Non-Residential Institutions), Casino (as amended by SI 220/06 and SI 221/06), D2 (Assembly & Leisure), of the Use Classes Order (England), April 2005]
The masterplan was designed by RTKL-UK Ltd
RTKL
RTKL is a global architecture, planning and design firm. The firm was founded in 1946 by Archibald Rogers and Francis Taliaferro in Rogers’ grandmother’s basement in Annapolis and is now one of the largest architectural firms in the world...
. Engineers WSP
WSP
WSP may mean:* WSP Group A global business providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environment.* Women Strike for Peace A United States women's peace activist group....
produced the means of access plan in the planning application. A cheque of £9,345 made payable to Birmingham City Council was submitted with application to cover the planning fees. A notice was placed in the December 5, 2005 edition of the Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
The Birmingham Post newspaper was originally published under the name Daily Post in Birmingham, England, in 1857 by John Frederick Feeney. It was the largest selling broadsheet in the West Midlands, though it faced little if any competition in this category. It changed to tabloid size in 2008...
by the agents, Drivers Jonas, to make the public aware of the proposals. The scheme was granted outline planning consent on December 21, 2006.
Demolition of the present buildings is believed to commence in 2007 however it is possible it will begin in 2008 when the lease to the premises in the Oasis Market expires. Construction is expected to take three years as it is being constructed as a single phase therefore making the completion date either 2010 or 2011.
The Toys 'R' Us store on Dale End has already found a new location and the office block is being emptied. The Argos store is also beginning to empty yet is still in operation until demolition begins. The Carling Academy is set to move to the former Dome nightclub premises on Bristol Street in 2009. Oasis Market will be forced to shut down or relocate as well as the small businesses on the street level. The rooftop market is slowly shutting down however it is unknown whether this is due to pressure by the developers or natural deterioration. A Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastores is an international chain of record shops, founded by Sir Richard Branson on London's Oxford Street in early 1971. Virgin Megastores are best described today as entertainment retailers....
on the corner with Bull Street and Corporation Street shut down in 2005 however the retail space was put up for let soon after. Virgin Megastore relocated to new premises next to the Pavilions Shopping Centre on High Street and the retail space became Omega Sektor
Omega Sektor
Omega Sektor was a computer gaming centre brand, which previously owned two venues in the UK. One smaller venue was based in Harrow, the other on Corporation Street in Birmingham...
which closed in 2008.
Interest was raised in the environmental surveying of the site by the developers who discovered that six species of birds which are listed in the RSPB's species of particular interest had established a habitat on the site. However, after further research, it was noted that these species of birds were common in city centres.
The proposals
The design contains residential and office blocks as well as an open area surrounded by shops. There are also five rooftop gardens. There is also a block with two towers protruding one of which is estimated to be 110 metres in height with 29 floors and a sloped roof with two rooftop gardens either side of these. The other is shorter however also has the sloped roof. It is proposed that there are eight buildings in total on site. The shortest building will front Moor Street Queensway and has been temporarily named Moor Street Gallery as it is intended for cultural or retail use. All office buildings will have retail space on the ground floor and will be located on Corporation Street. The other large buildings, excluding the 110 metre residential tower, will have optional hotel space as well as residential space. The road which separates Priory Square from the multi storey car park is removed so therefore it will stop at the bridge at the entrance to The McLaren BuildingThe McLaren Building
The McLaren Building is a 69 metre, 21 storey tall office building in Birmingham 4, England. Designed by Philip Bonham Associates and built in 1972, it is a retro thin brown office building. Current tenants include , , Scott Wilson, URS Corporation, UNISON and Birmingham City Council's Eastside...
.
The development will witness the realignment of streets and creation of pedestrianised streets on the site and the developers suggested the following for the public squares and roads in the outline planning application:
- Martineau Court
- Dale End Square
- Moor Street Plaza
- Imperial Arcade
- Dalton Way
- Corporation Passage
- Lower Priory (once the name of The Priory Queensway before redevelopment)
There are also proposals for highway works which brings the total area of the site to 14.3 acres (57,870.1 m²).
As the development includes the demolition of a regularly used car park, a replacement car park with a maximum of 2,550 spaces has also been proposed
The estimated cost of the development is £550 million and 6000 jobs are expected to be created. The development is being worked on by Advantage West Midlands
Advantage West Midlands
-Advantage West Midlands – Regional Development Agency:Advantage West Midlands was established in 1999 as one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England. RDAs were created by the UK Government to drive sustainable economic development and social and physical regeneration through a...
and the Birmingham Alliance.
Developments nearby include the large Masshouse
Masshouse
Masshouse is a site within Birmingham, United Kingdom which is under development with the construction of 13 new highrise blocks intended for public services, commerce and residential purposes. When completed, the blocks will have a prominent position on the Eastside skyline.-History:The Masshouse...
development on the opposite side of The Priory Queensway and City Park Gate opposite on the Moor Street Queensway. Cannon House on the opposite side of Old Square recently underwent a major refurbishment into Grade A office space.
The site covers 274,605m² and it is expected that 4,700 permanent jobs will be created as a result of the development. If a hotel is included in the development then the number may increase to 6,000. An average of 750 to 800 jobs are expected to be created during construction work.
External links
- Block 2 on Skyscrapernews.com
- Block 3 on Skyscrapernews.com (with images of towers)
- Block 4 on Skyscrapernews.com
- Original design on Birmingham.gov.uk
- Ordnance Survey 1:2,500: Epoch 1 (1890) Map on British History Online
- Martineau Galleries Redesigned
- £550m city shopping complex unveiled
- CABE Design Review