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Convention Centre

Some "before and after" shots of the Hyatt Hotel development on Broad Street.

The next 3 pictures are "View 5" (Views 1 to 4 are above)

The picture below was taken in November 1986, showing the site of the planned Hyatt Hotel. Unfortunately I dont have any pictures of what was there BEFORE it was knocked down. The activity on the site makes me think it had just been cleared.

This view is taken on the "convention centre" side of Broad Street, facing what WILL become the Hyatt Hotel.

I remember the tramp shuffling in front of the picture when I took it. I thought it was rather symbolic, this massive multi million pound project going on in the area, and this tramp just shuffling past. I wonder what he is doing now, probably just designed the new Birmingham Library :)

View 5 Picture 1) Site of Hyatt Hotel, Broad Street - click thumbnail for full size view
 
No date on this picture I am afraid (1987 or 1988).

Site has been boarded up, in preparation for work on the Hyatt hotel to start I guess.

Not much changed, except someone has dug up the block paving in front and just replaced it with tarmac.

I have to say this one of my "pet hates" (if I ever go on Room 101). People spend ages designing a square and choose expensive bricks and fancy designs. Then the gas board or other utility company come along, dig it up, and just throw tarmac down in its place, totally spoiling the look and feel of the square.

View 5 Picture 2) Site of Hyatt Hotel, Broad Street - click thumbnail for full size view
 
Picture dated December 1989, and the Hyatt look almost finished, at least the outside.

I remember a story about the blue bridge on the right, but not sure if it is true.

The bridge was ordered to link the Convention Centre to the hotel, and they built it to fit the wall on the right (seen behind the lamp post). But it was not going on that wall, but a receesed wall behind, and the bridge was about 6 foot too short. As I say, dont know if it was true, maybe someone can confirm.

Update: found this web site that confirms the bridge story, but is that right as well?
https://wapedia.mobi/en/International_Convention_Centre,_Birmingham

I am afraid these are the only three pictures I have of the Hyatt site.

View 5 Picture 3) Site of Hyatt Hotel, Broad Street - click thumbnail for full size view
 
guilbert53,
what a great set of pics, I used to work at the old Birmingham Co-op dept store in high street up until 1979 and I used to park my car in the Co-op staff car park which was on land adjacent to the Co-op pork factory at the lower end of Albert street a few hundred yards down from Albert street car park as is. So I used walk down the back streets to come and go to work. Just about recognise it now from the odd stray old building that is left. We used to have a Co-op warehouse on the land in what was the old Co-op bakery next to the "Victorian Factory" in your pics in Belmont Row / Great Brook Street. You've done a marvellous job.
Regards Chris B
 
There were some old timber black and white buildings in that area of Broad Street i never went to look at them does anyone else rememer them? I was working in an office block which over looked the convention centre. The plant room on the top had a balcony which overlooked all that area. We had a birdseye view of its construction, one lad i know took a few pictures as he was enroled on a photography course. Have lost contact with him now but if i ever meet up again will ask him if he still has the pictures
 
The next 4 pictures are "View 6" (Views 1 to 5 are above)

I have to be honest and say these are not the most exciting pictures in the set, but I am posting them for completeness.

This is one of the problems you have when you start taking pictures of something ISN'T there. How do you decide the best place to stand to get the best "before and after" pictures. You dont even know if the spot on which you are standing will the THERE when you come back, or maybe a huge brick wall will have been built in the way.

This is why I have taken so many picture of the Eastside site recently, to try to get every angle covered.

The picture below was taken in November 1986, after the announcement of the ICC / Symphony Hall, but before much work had taken place.

This view is taken from behind (or on the side) of the Convention Centre site. As you can see from the road signs on the right, it is in Cambridge Street and King Edwards Road. I could not move the "view" any more to the left as there is a large block on flats in the way.

Luckily it is Winter so no leaves on the trees, so you can just see the brewery on the very left.

Some demolition seems to have started, there is a half demolished building near the centre.

View 6 Picture 1) Back (or side) of Convention Centre
 
Same view, but no date on this picture. My guess is 1987 as I have one more undated picture below (1988?), then a final one dated 1989. Obviously Winter as there are no leaves on the tree.

A lot of activity on the site. The brewery has gone, cranes have appeared, the site has been "fenced in", and lots of workman's portakabins in the foreground.

The building work in the cente is for the power house building, which can be cleary seen in "View1" right at the start of this topic (or of course on the two pictures below).

View 6 Picture 2) Back (or side) of Convention Centre
 
Same view, but again no date on this picture. My guess is 1988. Rather annoyingly I have obviously gone back in Summer as the tree is covered in leaves, totally obliterating the Convention Centre building (trouble is once I had chosen this view I was stuck with it).

The power building seems complete, and another crane has appeared.

View 6 Picture 3) Back (or side) of Convention Centre
 
Same view, this one dated December 1989, and the last of this "set". Luckily it was Winter so no leaves on the trees.

The Convention Centre building now seems complete (at least the outside), and now loads of workman's portakabins around.

Lots of workman's cars dotted around as well.

View 6 Picture 4) Back (or side) of Convention Centre
 
So that road that goes off to the left must be Bridge Street, is that right? You can just make out the arched glass roof of the James Brindley pub (now closed) on the extreme left. Great picture showing the way the Broad Street area has been developed extensively in the past 25 years.
 
These are fantastic, and timed perfectly. I work in BrindleyPlace and was only asking around the other day about what was there before the current development, your pictures have answered my queries. Thanks for sharing. Is there any chance I can get copies of the full res images as I would like to create a before and after mash-up of the images. It's something I've been doing around the Hockley area, with some success.
 
Sparks68 said:
These are fantastic, and timed perfectly. I work in BrindleyPlace and was only asking around the other day about what was there before the current development, your pictures have answered my queries. Thanks for sharing. Is there any chance I can get copies of the full res images as I would like to create a before and after mash-up of the images. It's something I've been doing around the Hockley area, with some success.
Click to expand...

I do have more pictures to post here, but need to scan them in yet.

I have some of Brindley place when it was just a cleared site, others of the building of the NIA, and others of the canal areas behind what is now Brindley Place and the NIA.

Let me finish scanning them all in, then I am happy to give you all the scanned images.
 
Sparks68 said:
So that road that goes off to the left must be Bridge Street, is that right? You can just make out the arched glass roof of the James Brindley pub (now closed) on the extreme left.
Click to expand...

I was not sure what pictures you were refering to at first, but a look on Google Maps shows you are refering to View 5, the Hyatt Hotel view.

Yes that is Bridge Street going off to the left.
 
This is View 7, taken from Gas Street Basin towards the proposed site of the Hyatt Hotel.

This is picture 1, dated November 1986, after the Convention Centre / NIA had been announced, but before much development had started.

The site in front (Hyatt Hotel site) has been cleared but on the very left you can see the old buildings with white windows (where the ICC now stands) have yet to be knocked down.

You can see the "reverse" of this picture in View 5 Picture 1 above.

View 7 Picture 1) Gas Stret and the Hyatt Hotel
 
This is View 7 Picture 2, but no date on the picture (1988?).

The site in front (Hyatt Hotel site) has been cleared and now boarded up ready for the development of the Hyatt Hotel to start.

Unfortunately I did not include any of the ICC site on the left so we cannot see how the ICC development is coming along.

Fine collection of canal boats in the foreground.

You can see the "reverse" of this picture in View 5 Picture 2 above.

View 7 Picture 2) Gas Street and the Hyatt Hotel
 
This is View 7 Picture 3, dated February 1989.

The building of the Hyatt hotel is now well under way, and you can just see the ICC being built in the background on the left as well.

View 7 Picture 3) Gas Street and the Hyatt Hotel
 
This is View 7 Picture 4, dated December 1989.

Unfortunately I had to change position slightly to take this picture (one of the perils of taking "before and after" photographs). A public footbridge had been built over the canal, and right in front of where I stood to take the first 3 pictures, so I had to move to right to take this one.

The building of the Hyatt hotel is now almost complete (at least the outside).

You can see the "reverse" of this picture in View 5 Picture 3 above.

View 7 Picture 4) Gas Street and the Hyatt Hotel
 
This is View 8, and three pictures in this set. This is of Brindley Place (believe it or not).

This picture was taken in November 1986, as they were clearing the site.

I am standing by the canal and facing Broad Street, with the site of the National Indoor Arena (not built yet of course) behind me. The Sea Life Centre would be just off to the left of this picture.

The two tall buildings in the distance are on Broad Street. The old building on the very left is now the Ikon Gallery (it was a school). The black church next to it is also still there (right on Broad Street) and is now a nightclub (Flares according to Google maps).

The small canal section in front of me (on the left of the picture) can still be seen if you go there today.

Looks like part of a small dome on the very right of the picture, I wonder what that was.

View 8 Picture 1) Brindley Place
 
No date on this picture I am afraid. Could be any time between November 1986 (the date of the first picture) and July 1990 (the date of the last picture).

The site has been almost totally cleared. The Ikon gallery and Church remain.

The low building in the centre is the Crescent Theatre on its old site, before it was rebuilt just a short distance away (further to the right, on Sheepcote Street).

View 8 Picture 2) Brindley Place
 
Third and last picture of this view, dated July 1990

Site now totally cleared and looks almost ready for development to start.

A new hotel, the Novotel, has appeared on the right (which is still there and still the same name).

Lots of rubbish in the canal, they have certainly cleaned up the canals since then.

I am afraid I have no more pictures of this site after this date, so no pictures of the building of Brindley Place. Of course if I did try to take this picture today the huge back of a building would be blocking the whole view.

View 8 Picture 3) Brindley Place
 
Loving the last 3 pictures, as I work at 2 Brindleyplace, which is now just in front of the Ikon gallery (Oozells Street School) building (In fact I can see the new tower they added to the building from my desk). I have been wondering what the square looked like before the arrival of Costa, Eat, Bank etc and now I know.
I actually went and stood at the spot you took these from yesterday - you are dead right, all you can see is the side of Bank and 3 Brindleyplace (The one with the water cascading down the side)
One noticable addition is the lettering that has been added to the tall building on the left which is Jury's Inn.
 
This set is View 9, and four more pictures of the building of the Convention Centre.

Rather like View 6 these are not the most exciting pictures in the series, but I am posting them for completeness.

The picture below was taken in November 1986, after the announcement of the ICC / Symphony Hall, but before much work had taken place. Facing right into the sun I am afraid.

This view is taken from behind the Repertory Theatre in Cambridge Street (you can just see part of the theatre on the very left of the picture. I used that as a reference point so I would know where to stand each time I took a picture).

Some demolition seems to have started, but there are still some old building remaining. The large old building on the left is the brewery that has been discussed before in this topic.

Interesting glass roofed building to the right of the brewery, just poking above the white hoarding. I wonder what that was?

View 9 Picture 1) Convention Centre from Cambridge Street
 
Still View 9, but no date on this picture I am afraid (1987?).

All the old buildings have gone and site boarded up for development to start.

A few cranes have appeared.

View 9 Picture 2) Convention Centre from Cambridge Street
 
Still View 9, but again no date on the picture (1988?).

Building of the main ICC building now well under way.

View 9 Picture 3) Convention Centre from Cambridge Street
 
Still view 9, and we now have a date, December 1989.

External of the building in the forground (including glass) now complete, still working on the rear of the building.

This is the last picture I took from this viewpoint.

View 9 Picture 4) Convention Centre from Cambridge Street
 
What a fantastic pictoral record - thanks for sharing.

I can see the Cube development ( back of the Mailbox ) from my work window and have watched progress almost daily - but never had the foresight ( or sense ) to do a pictoral like this - but I'll think about it in future.
 
This is View 10, and only one picture in this "set" I am afraid (dont ask me why I did not take more).

Picture taken on December 1989.

It is on Broad Street, with Gas Street going off to the right, with of course the Hyatt Hotel in the background.

All the buildings in the foreground are still there, and I think they are all now bars (the one on the left is called the "Walkabout - the Australian bar" according to Google maps. I have no idea of the name of the one on the right, in Google maps the name is some strange "symbol").

View 10 Picture 1) Broad Street, old buildings, and the Hyatt Hotel
 
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