Martineau Place
Encyclopedia
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.
Developed by the Birmingham Alliance, it contains a mixture of shops and restaurants with the emphasis on food and drink which is located on the roofs of the shops.
Detailed planning permission was granted in 1999 as phase 1 of a development of the area dubbed "Martineau Galleries
" with the phase 2 receiving the name of the entire development. Martineau Place was completed in September 2001. As part of the development, the "Bull Street Hump", a subway system for vehicles and pedestrians, was removed and repaved to create a crossing. This was completed in July 2000.
The undulating topography
of the area meant that the area at ground level for Union Street has to be accessed via steps on Bull Street. This topography meant that shops could be created on Bull Street ground level which would generally be underground if located on Union Street. Above the shops, a sheltered public square
was created. The same material used to shelter the square has been used to cover the entrance at Union Street and the entrance to a Sainsbury's
supermarket
.
As part of the development, the facade was modernised from the 1960s appearance however the highrise office building, One Martineau Place, was not developed. A new frontage on Corporation Street was constructed with a circular turret
-like structure on the junction of Corporation Street and Union Street forming the entrance to a Gap
store.
In 2004, contracts were exchanged and the Birmingham Alliance sold the shopping centre.
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...
. It is located on land bounded by High Street, Union Street, Bull Street and 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 :...
and is directly opposite House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, formerly known as Rackhams.
Developed by the Birmingham Alliance, it contains a mixture of shops and restaurants with the emphasis on food and drink which is located on the roofs of the shops.
Detailed planning permission was granted in 1999 as phase 1 of a development of the area dubbed "Martineau Galleries
Martineau Galleries
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.- Pre-1960s development :...
" with the phase 2 receiving the name of the entire development. Martineau Place was completed in September 2001. As part of the development, the "Bull Street Hump", a subway system for vehicles and pedestrians, was removed and repaved to create a crossing. This was completed in July 2000.
The undulating topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of the area meant that the area at ground level for Union Street has to be accessed via steps on Bull Street. This topography meant that shops could be created on Bull Street ground level which would generally be underground if located on Union Street. Above the shops, a sheltered public square
Public Square
Public Square is the central plaza in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It takes up four city blocks; Superior Avenue and Ontario Street cross through it. Cleveland's three tallest buildings, Key Tower, 200 Public Square and the Terminal Tower, face the square...
was created. The same material used to shelter the square has been used to cover the entrance at Union Street and the entrance to a Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
.
As part of the development, the facade was modernised from the 1960s appearance however the highrise office building, One Martineau Place, was not developed. A new frontage on Corporation Street was constructed with a circular turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
-like structure on the junction of Corporation Street and Union Street forming the entrance to a Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
store.
In 2004, contracts were exchanged and the Birmingham Alliance sold the shopping centre.
External links
- Official website
- Martineau Galleries development archive
- The Birmingham Alliance Exchanges Contracts to Sell Martineau Place - Land Securities
- Image of Martineau Place
- DSM Group - Company who demolished previous building