Regal Tower
Encyclopedia
Regal Tower is a proposed skyscraper
to be constructed on a site bounded by Broad Street
, Oozells Way and Sheepcote Street in Birmingham
, England
. The proposal consists of a 56 storey tower, measuring 200.5 metres (658 ft) tall, housing retail units, a luxury hotel, residential apartments and car parking. Provision has been made for 256 serviced apartments, although these could make way for additional hotel space. The tower has been designed by Aedas
and was proposed by Regal Property Group, with DTZ Debenham Tie Leung acting on their behalf. When completed, it will become the tallest building in the UK outside of London
.
, as well as ballroom facilities. It was hoped that the tower could be completed by 2011, in time for when the city hosts delegates for the 2012 Summer Olympics
.
It was announced in August 2008 by Regal Propert Group that they had established a dedicated hotel development division which will work on development sites including Regal Tower site, as well as working in conjunction with Hilton Hotels
and InterContinental Hotels Group
.
show in Cannes
, France
in March 2009. The proposals were also unveiled to the Cabinet at Birmingham City Council on 19 March 2009. The estimated cost of the tower was adjusted to million, and the developers said that they expected the tower to begin construction on 2010, with completion in 2013. They also expected to submit a full planning application to the council in May 2009. Details of the scale of the tower and exact usage were not announced.
On 1 September 2009, the first part of a full planning application was submitted to Birmingham City Council. A cheque of was made payable to the city council to cover the statutory planning application fee. The planning application was given the reference number '2009/04215/PA' and the following description for when it was published on the city council's planning department website:
A contribution of will be made towards public transport improvements in the area, under the Section 106 terms. A Section 278 will also be provided for all off site works with plans to be agreed upon with the Highways department of the city council.
A public consultation was held on 14 October 2009 at 11 Brindleyplace
to gather public opinion on the proposal. Following the event, various news outlets noted that a planning application had been submitted, although they stated the building's height as being 200.5 m (658 ft) tall, a detail not originally stated in the planning application.
As per normal planning practise, a number of parties were consulted over the proposal. Amongst those asked to comment was the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
(CABE), who replied by objecting to the proposal on November 23, 2009, due to worries that it would be too overbearing for Brindleyplace
, that the proposal was driven more by financial concerns rather than urban design considerations, and that the design did not accommodate for the large numbers of people expected to be arriving and departing from the building.
The tower's façade will consist of a full-height glass curtain wall, with coated metal panels and louvered metal panels with projecting fins. The crown will be formed from a ring of spires.
A lighting scheme has been designed for the building by Hoare Lea
. It was chosen to use a blue and white colour scheme, which would be implemented using 48 low-energy and low maintenance, surface mounted LED Paraobilic Projector 022s on the bases of the fins that will be supplemented with 200 metres of linear Linex HD LED washlights between the fins. The lighting scheme is budgeted at £146,000.
The Grade II listed Left Bank, currently used as a restaurant named 'Big Bite', will be incorporated into the scheme and renovated within two years of the first occupation of the hotel.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
to be constructed on a site bounded by Broad Street
Broad Street, Birmingham
Broad Street is a major thoroughfare and popular nightspot in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. Traditionally, Broad Street was considered to be outside Birmingham City Centre, but as the city centre expanded with the removal of the Inner Ring Road, Broad Street has been incorporated into...
, Oozells Way and Sheepcote Street in Birmingham
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...
. The proposal consists of a 56 storey tower, measuring 200.5 metres (658 ft) tall, housing retail units, a luxury hotel, residential apartments and car parking. Provision has been made for 256 serviced apartments, although these could make way for additional hotel space. The tower has been designed by Aedas
Aedas
Aedas is an international architectural firm operating in 31 offices in 20 countries. The practice provides Architecture, Interior Design, Building Consultancy, Research & Development, Imaging, Urban Design and Landscape Design services...
and was proposed by Regal Property Group, with DTZ Debenham Tie Leung acting on their behalf. When completed, it will become the tallest building in the UK outside of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Original proposal
The site, once home to the city's progressive synagogue, has been subject of a previous planning application by Regal Property Group for a mixed-use, 10 storey block consisting of 130 apartments and restaurant. This was submitted for approval by Regal Property Group on August 15, 2002, and was registered by the city council on August 19. It was approved in March 2007.Announcement
Regal Property Group's plans to construct a tower on the site were first announced in October 2007, with few details of the proposal being unveiled. Initially estimated to cost million, it was believed that the tower would be likely to surpass the height of the city's tallest approved tower, V Building. The developers said that the tower would include conference facilities for around 1,000 people to complement those at the nearby International Convention CentreInternational Convention Centre, Birmingham
The International Convention Centre is a major conference venue in central Birmingham, England. The centre includes Symphony Hall and it faces Centenary Square. The building has another entrance leading to the canals of Birmingham. The Convention Quarter area, which includes Brindleyplace, is...
, as well as ballroom facilities. It was hoped that the tower could be completed by 2011, in time for when the city hosts delegates for the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
.
It was announced in August 2008 by Regal Propert Group that they had established a dedicated hotel development division which will work on development sites including Regal Tower site, as well as working in conjunction with Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
and InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group plc is a global hotels company headquartered in Denham, United Kingdom. It is the largest hotels company in the world measured by rooms , and has over 4,500 hotels across over 100 countries...
.
Unveiling
Further details emerged when the initial designs for the tower by Aedas were officially announced at the MIPIMMIPIM
MIPIM is a trade show that its organisers describe as a "market for international property trade". It takes place annually in Cannes, France in March. In 2004, MIPIM attracted 15,157 participants from 67 countries...
show in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in March 2009. The proposals were also unveiled to the Cabinet at Birmingham City Council on 19 March 2009. The estimated cost of the tower was adjusted to million, and the developers said that they expected the tower to begin construction on 2010, with completion in 2013. They also expected to submit a full planning application to the council in May 2009. Details of the scale of the tower and exact usage were not announced.
Planning application
May 2009 passed without a planning application being submitted. In June 2009, DTZ Debenham Tie Leung submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening request to the council, who replied in August 2009 saying that they did not believe an EIA was necessary for the proposal. On 13 August 2009, DTZ Debenham Tie Leung met with the council to discuss the process of submitting the planning application and it was agreed that the developers could submit an outline planning application without full supporting information, allowing the additional documents to be submitted at a later date.On 1 September 2009, the first part of a full planning application was submitted to Birmingham City Council. A cheque of was made payable to the city council to cover the statutory planning application fee. The planning application was given the reference number '2009/04215/PA' and the following description for when it was published on the city council's planning department website:
56 storey mixed use building, to include ground floor retail, 289 bed hotel and either 256 serviced apartments or additional hotel accommodation and 1,530 square metres of residential accommodation with one level of basement car parking.
A contribution of will be made towards public transport improvements in the area, under the Section 106 terms. A Section 278 will also be provided for all off site works with plans to be agreed upon with the Highways department of the city council.
A public consultation was held on 14 October 2009 at 11 Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use canalside development, in the Westside district of Birmingham, England. It is often written erroneously as Brindley Place, the name of the street around which it is built...
to gather public opinion on the proposal. Following the event, various news outlets noted that a planning application had been submitted, although they stated the building's height as being 200.5 m (658 ft) tall, a detail not originally stated in the planning application.
As per normal planning practise, a number of parties were consulted over the proposal. Amongst those asked to comment was the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment was an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, established in 1999. It was funded by both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Communities and Local Government.-Function:CABE was the...
(CABE), who replied by objecting to the proposal on November 23, 2009, due to worries that it would be too overbearing for Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use canalside development, in the Westside district of Birmingham, England. It is often written erroneously as Brindley Place, the name of the street around which it is built...
, that the proposal was driven more by financial concerns rather than urban design considerations, and that the design did not accommodate for the large numbers of people expected to be arriving and departing from the building.
Proposal details
As per the details published in the planning application, the proposed tower will be 56 storeys in height with one basement level of automated car parking, providing 29 spaces. The tower will reach a total height of 200.5 metres (658 ft), surpassing all other buildings in the city centre. The structure will consist of two elements: a four storey podium and a 51 storey tower above. The podium will provide approximately 577 m² (6,211 sq ft) of retail units, fronting onto Broad Street, as well as the hotel reception area and a ballroom. Above this will be a 289 bedroom hotel, intended to be of 5 star quality, with 256 serviced apartments that can be used as additional hotel space if necessary. There will also be a double-height 'sky bar' on the 30th floor with an outdoor terrace to provide panoramic views of the city, and approximately 1530 m² (16,469 sq ft) of residential penthouse apartments set within three floors at the 'Crown' of the tower.The tower's façade will consist of a full-height glass curtain wall, with coated metal panels and louvered metal panels with projecting fins. The crown will be formed from a ring of spires.
A lighting scheme has been designed for the building by Hoare Lea
Hoare Lea
Hoare Lea is a firm of consulting engineers specialising in mechanical, electrical and environmental engineering...
. It was chosen to use a blue and white colour scheme, which would be implemented using 48 low-energy and low maintenance, surface mounted LED Paraobilic Projector 022s on the bases of the fins that will be supplemented with 200 metres of linear Linex HD LED washlights between the fins. The lighting scheme is budgeted at £146,000.
The Grade II listed Left Bank, currently used as a restaurant named 'Big Bite', will be incorporated into the scheme and renovated within two years of the first occupation of the hotel.