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Convention Centre & Broad Street - historic photos

G

guilbert53

master brummie
In the early 1980s Birmingham council began to clear the area around Broad Street to build the International Convention Centre (ICC), the National Indoor Arena (NIA), and Brindley Place, as well as many apartments.

I went up there with my trusty camera (pre-digital of course) to try and capture the area before, and during, the development of the site.

So I have dug out the photo album (do you remember the days we stuck pictures in albums) and I have scanned them all in.

Looking at them now some are not very good, and I often seemed to go up there on a dull Sunday, so some pictures are rather dark.

Note I also went back in 2010 / 2011 and retook many photos from the same spot, so I have many photos showing the area in the 1980s, and again in the 2010s, and boy are there major changes.

For those that only know the "new" buildings in that area, you may be interested in seeing how it WAS in that period, and how far Birmingham has come since then.

Note I have 30 different "views" (and often multiple photos of the same view) so will post all 30 views over the next few weeks.

Note I do have these pictures as larger files and a better quality if anyone wants them.
 
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Well here is a picture that may shock you all. It shocked me when I first scanned it in a few years ago.

Believe it or not this shows the site of the ICC (Convention Centre), Brindley Place and the Sea Life Centre.

This photo was taken at some point in the early 1980s but I am not sure of the exact date.

I am standing with my BACK to the National Indoor Arena (NIA) (which was not there at the time of course), looking down towards Broad Street and Gas Street basin (out of shot). In the foreground is the roundabout in the middle of the canal (which is still there) and this area is, I believe, called Old Turn Junction.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.

View 1 Map1.PNG

On the VERY left is the site of the canal side pub The Malt House, then further down on the left we see the mass of old buildings where the Convention Centre now stands. About the point just before the canal disappears is the footbridge that links the Convention Centre with Brindley Place.

On the right of the canal is the site of the Brindley Place complex, and the building on the very right (with the broken windows) is where the Sea Life Centre now stands.

Where the canal disappears in the distance is the road bridge over Broad Street, and right at the back are the pub buildings on Broad Street (I believe one is called the Australian Bar)

Because I took a number of pictures from the same spot I will try to group the pictures together. I will call this "View 1" and there are 6 pictures from this view (the next 6 pictures)

View 1, Picture 1. Site of Convention Centre and Sea Life Centre
View1Picture1.jpg
 
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Here is the same view as Picture 1 above, but after they began development of the site (and the sun is shining).

There is a date on the back of the photograph of November 1986.

If you compare the two pictures you see that some of the buildings on the left have been demolished, and the building on the right (where the Sea Life Centre is now) has been partly demolished.

The large dark building at the back on the right is an old brewery. It stood behind the pub on Broad Street that was called The Crown I believe, and the "pub" is still there but is now a bar / nightclub.

View 1, Picture 2) Site of Convention Centre and Sea Life Centre
View1Picture2.jpg
 
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looking forward to your photos guilbert..only 30 odd years old yet still historic .. took my grandson to the sea life centre a couple of months back..hard to believe its the same place...thanks

lyn
 
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Now for two more photos of "View 1", both taken in the mid 1980s and follow on from the photos above.

Sadly the first is a rather dull and grainy picture (I must have been using cheap film).

No date on the back of this photo, but is it is AFTER November 1986 (the date of picture 2 above) so maybe 1987.

You can see the cranes are now in place for the building of the convention centre, and a large new building is being built on the left. The area on the right (where the Sea Life Centre is now) has now been almost totally cleared.

View 1, Picture 3) Site of Convention Centre and Sea Life CentreView1Picture3.jpg

Below is the same view, but a bit sunnier this day. No date on the back of this one (maybe 1988, but certain before October 1989).

Nice modern building in the foreground (I believe this is the "power plant" for the site), and you can see the cranes are still in place for the building of the convention centre (I think you can see the roof of the convention centre slightly sticking above the new building in the foreground).

Not much movement on the site of Brindley Place and the Sea Life Centre on the right.

View 1, Picture 4) Site of Convention Centre and Sea Life Centre
View1Picture4.jpg
 
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Very surprised that the Brewmaster’s House survived all this development (between the last two cranes - second image). Viv.
 
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Here is the same view as the four pictures above.

Date of October 1989 on the back of this one (so about 30 years old).

Most of the cranes have gone for the building of the convention centre, just one left, and you can now clearly see the roof of the convention centre sticking above the new red building in the foreground.

The Hyatt hotel has also appeared in the distance.

Not much movement on the site of the Sea Life Centre on the right.

View 1, Picture 5) Site of Convention Centre and Sea Life Centre
View1picture5.jpg
 
Here is the sixth and final photo of View 1 (more views to follow)

This photo was taken in November 2010 long after everything was finished.

You can just see the Malt House pub on the very left (where President Clinton drank during the G8 summit), then the ICC (International Convention Centre), then behind that the Hyatt Hotel. You can also see the new bridge over the canal linking the ICC with Brindley place. Finally on the very right you can see the Sea Life Centre.

There is a reason for the long gap between photo 5 in 1989 and photo 6 in 2010.

In the early 1980s I got divorced, then married a new partner, then had two children, then went to work in Warwick for 15 years. It was only after I had retired that I then had time to go back and take the "finished" photos of these views.

Since 2010 I have taken hundreds of photos of the ever changing Birmingham city centre so I may post some of those at some point.

View 1, Picture 6) Site of Convention Centre and Sea Life CentreView1Picture6.jpg
 
thanks guilbert amazing changes over the years and it got me thinking that the view you posted on post 2 must have been what folk looked at for maybe as long as 150 years so will todays view on post 9 last that long...i very much doubt it in this age of throw away buildings....so pleased though that for now the old brewmasters house survives...and your old photos are very important for people like me who during the 70s and 80s was too busy doing other things to take note of our dwindling historical buildings so thank you

lyn
 
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This is now "View 2" in my series and there are only 4 pictures from this viewpoint.

This picture is dated November 1986, 33 years ago.

This shows a run down building on Broad Street which was restored and is now The Brasshouse (according to Google Street View). It is to the LEFT of the canal (as you face it) and the building is facing Broad Street. Behind it is now the Brindley Place complex.

The "gap" between the old buildings is where the canal runs under Broad Street (there was also a church there).

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.

View 2 Map 1.PNG

The thing that STAGGERED me about this picture is not the building in the foreground, but the amazing industrial architecture of the building on the right, an old brewery (I happen to think it is beautiful with those wonderful chimneys).

I must admit that I was not so in to buildings at that time, and I don't think I even NOTICED it when I took this picture, it just "happened" to be in it. I certainly did not take any pictures of JUST that building at the time (I wish I had done).

It stands right where the Convention Centre now stands (I wonder if there was any protest about it being knocked down at the time?).

Amazing to think a building like that was right in the centre of Birmingham in the middle of the 1980s.

View 2, Picture 1) Site of Brindley Place and Convention Centre on Broad Street
View2Picture1.jpg
 
This is still "View 2" and there are only 4 pictures from this viewpoint. This is picture 2.

No date on this pictures but maybe 1987 (and it is VERY grainy)

Not much movement on The Brasshouse in the foreground (except the adverts posted on the walls and windows have changed), but the industrial building on the right (the Brewery) has now gone (sad to say), and a couple of cranes have appeared.

Also a bit of tidying up in the "gap" between the old buildings is where the canal runs under Broad Street.

View 2, Picture 2) Site of Brindley Place and Convention Centre on Broad Street
View2Picture2.jpg
 
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This is still "View 2" and there are only 4 pictures from this viewpoint. This is picture 3.

No date on this picture, but maybe 1988.

We now have movement on The Brasshouse in the foreground, and the old building on the far right is being restored (which I think is now Reflex - the 80s bar - according to Google Street view).

In the gap between the old buildings you can see the Convention Centre taking shape.

View 2, Picture 3) Site of Brindley Place and Convention Centre on Broad Street
View2Picture3.jpg
 
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This is still "View 2" and there are only 4 pictures from this viewpoint. This is picture 4.

This is a fairly recent photo, taken in November 2010, when the renovation of the area had been finished for quite a while.

The Brasshouse has become a pub / restaurant, and of course Brindley Place has been built behind it.

The finished ICC (International Convention Centre) is on the right of this photo.

View 2, Picture 4) Site of Brindley Place and Convention Centre on Broad Street
View2Picture4.jpg
 
guilbert53 said:
This is still "View 2" and there are only 4 pictures from this viewpoint. This is picture 4.

This is a fairly recent photo, taken in November 2010, when the renovation of the area had been finished for quite a while.

The Brasshouse has become a pub / restaurant, and of course Brindley Place has been built behind it.

The finished ICC (International Convention Centre) is on the right of this photo.

View 2, Picture 4) Site of Brindley Place and Convention Centre on Broad Street
View attachment 133559
Click to expand...

Great Pics
 
The next 4 pictures are "View 3" (Views 1 and 2 are above).

The picture below was taken in November 1986, after the building of the Convention Centre (ICC) and Symphony Hall had been announced, but before much work had started. On the far right you can see a large orange sign announcing the building of this complex (I do have a picture of this sign which I will post later).

This view is taken on the opposite side of Broad Street (standing in front of what is now the new HSBC headquarters) , facing what WILL become the front of the ICC / Symphony Hall building. A fine set of building in view as you can see.

Also behind, and just to left, of the fine buildings (partly hidden by the tree) is the large brewery that can be seen clearly above in View 2. In front of it is what was the Crown Pub and is now a bar / nightclub.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 3 Map 1.jpg

If you cannot picture where we are, then just off to the right of this picture is Centenary Square and the new Birmingham Library and the Birmingham Rep theatre.

View 3 Picture 1) Broad Street and the front of the Convention Centre
View3Picture1.jpg
 
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Another photo of View 3.

Here is the same view after the existing buildings had been demolished, and the building of the ICC / Symphony Hall had begun.

No date on this picture, but it must be AFTER November 1986 (the date of the first picture above) so 1987 or 1988 (I really wish I had dated them all).

View 3 Picture 2) Broad Street and the front on the Convention Centre
View3Picture2S.jpg
 
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I have recollections of the bridge between the convention centre and the hotel was too short. I think the designers built the hotel further back form the road
 
This is View 3, and the fourth (and last) photo of this "View 3" set.

This photo was taken in November 2010 when the ICC had been long finished.

As you can see Broad Street is very busy with cars, which has not been the case for the last couple of years as they try to reduce the traffic flow along Broad St in preparation for the tram track to be laid.

View 3 Picture 4) Broad Street and the front on the Convention Centre View3Picture4.jpg

In fact below is a photo I took just today (Monday 29th April 2019) showing how Broad Street and the area in front of the ICC looks now.

On the very left is the new HSBC headquarters building, and to the right of that (the building covered up, an old bank I believe) is now owned by Birmingham University and is being converted in to an art gallery and exhibition space I understand.

In front of them both we have Broad Street itself being prepared for the tram track, then the Hyatt Hotel of course, then on the right, in the area behind the tree, we have Centenary Square which is being totally repaved and having new trees planted, and in the distance you can see the ICC (International Convention Centre).

Broad Street today (Monday 29th April 2019)
Brum 096.JPG
 
guilbert53 said:
This is View 3, and the fourth (and last) photo of this "View 3" set.

This photo was taken in November 2010 when the ICC had been long finished.

As you can see Broad Street is very busy with cars, which has not been the case for the last couple of years as they try to reduce the traffic flow along Broad St in preparation for the tram track to be laid.

View 3 Picture 4) Broad Street and the front on the Convention Centre View attachment 133619

In fact below is a photo I took just today (Monday 29th April 2019) showing how Broad Street and the area in front of the ICC looks now.

On the very left is the new HSBC headquarters building, and to the right of that (the building covered up, an old bank I believe) is now owned by Birmingham University and is being converted in to an art gallery and exhibition space I understand.

In front of them both we have Broad Street itself being prepared for the tram track, then the Hyatt Hotel of course, then on the right, in the area behind the tree, we have Centenary Square which is being totally repaved and having new trees planted, and in the distance you can see the ICC (International Convention Centre).

Broad Street today (Monday 29th April 2019)
View attachment 133620
Click to expand...

Guilbert53 good photography , but what an absolute abortion that area looks like nowadays 1955-1969 I walked up and down that area regularly living in William St
 
Williamstreeter said:
Guilbert53 good photography , but what an absolute abortion that area looks like nowadays 1955-1969 I walked up and down that area regularly living in William St
Click to expand...


hear hear john....but always remember you still have your memories..they cant take those away from you :)

lyn
 
Here is View 4, but only a single picture in this set.

As I mentioned in View 3 Picture 1 above, there was a huge sign announcing the ICC and Symphony Hall (which soon disappeared as the building work started).

As you can see on the sign, it says "Starting Date Winter 1986", and "Opening Date Autumn 1990".

Behind the sign you can see the large brewery that can be clearly seen in "View 2 Picture1" above (also partly in "View 3 Picture 1", on the left behind the trees).

View 4 Picture 1) Sign announcing ICC and Symphony Hall
View4Pic1S.jpg
 
That's very interesting, I remember the pub when it was the Crown but I just don't remember the brewery building.
I used to go to Barbarellas club in the 70's so it must have still been there then - funny how you don't always notice the things around you!
 
Now for View 5, some "before and after" shots of the Hyatt Hotel development on Broad Street.

There are 4 pictures in View 5

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 5 Map 1.JPG

The picture below was taken in November 1986, showing the site of the planned Hyatt Hotel. Unfortunately I don't 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 StreetView5Pic1S.jpg
 
guilbert53 said:
Here is View 4, but only a single picture in this set.

As I mentioned in View 3 Picture 1 above, there was a huge sign announcing the ICC and Symphony Hall (which soon disappeared as the building work started).

As you can see on the sign, it says "Starting Date Winter 1986", and "Opening Date Autumn 1990".

Behind the sign you can see the large brewery that can be clearly seen in "View 2 Picture1" above (also partly in "View 3 Picture 1", on the left behind the trees).

View 4 Picture 1) Sign announcing ICC and Symphony Hall
View attachment 133623
Click to expand...

One thing missing on that sign the word "Peoples" ie The First UK Peoples Purpose Built Convention Centre
 
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