I am a newcomer to this site so apologies for joining a thread that is almost two years old. Some excellent pictures have been posted here.
I left Brum in 1970, so I have no idea what kind of furore there was, if any, when such fine buildings were flattened but I can kind of understand how it happened - which is in no way to condone it. It all but brings tears to the eye when seeing pictures of what was lost.
It may look a crazy thing to do today, but the development did have some merit. Chamberlain Square was transformed from a not entirely pleasant traffic thoroughfare into a very valuable and usuable civic space. It may have happened mid 70's but the mood of the time was perhaps still influenced by the 50's and 60's when it was very much 'if it's old it has to go, new has got to be good'. After all, who wanted the hassle of fresh fish when you could have proper fish fingers? People were amenable to a Birmingham that looked like Chicago rather than Heidelbug - according to artists impressions, anyways.
I look at the plans for the next Chamberlain Square and am horrified. Knock down the old libray by all means, but replace it with something to be proud of. I wonder if in 40 years time people will reflect on the way that, with barely a murmur of concern, so many ordinary buidlings were packed into the scheme and a key civic area was turned into the focal point of a series of wind tunnels and rendered all but useless.