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Urban exploring buildings in & around Brum

Just out of interest does anyone know if the Cirzon Street station building is still going to be used for anything? It's a bit of an odd place inside, and does make you wonder what on earth it could ever be used for again!!!
 
Firstly I applaud the efforts to record the past industrial scene and hope no injury will occur. It will be a very valuable record certainly. I have mixed feelings about retaining the presence of the buildings though; mostly anyway. What would be the point and who would keep these buildings from becoming even more decrepit and overgrown. This happens many places in the world now and I have seen a works that I was at; dissappear totally. I hated driving past it and seeing the efforts to house other concerns in the factory...all to no avail, except for government offices that existed for a while. What can you say? Anyway, when it was all rased to the ground, a super site was revealed for building homes for people in what had become a very nice area once the factory had gone. So now when I drive by I see tasteful housing and streets and trees on boulevards. In my minds eye I can still see the factory but we have to move on to the next stage. Whatever that will be.
Don't know what happened to the bold text. It was not intentional; I must have pressed the wrong button.
 
rupert
I don't agree with you, but i can see your point. I don't know about Canada, but my sister tells me that , there, older (often much younger buildings than those in question in birmingham), are often cherished, mainly because "there are not many of them around". While i would agree that much of what is gone in Birmingham should have gone because of its condition, much was destroyed aimlessly, and we should endeavour to ensure to see that the same does not happen to what is left because "there are not many of them around". This is particularly true because, in the UK at least, what might become , to quote you, "homes for people in what had become a very nice area ", because of bad design and poor construction, is as likely as not ,in a few years, to be as decrepit and unpleassant as the buildings they replaced.
 
I don't know why houses would be bad design there. Building a decent house with a bit of style is not rocket science and does not take a lot of time. It might be that a shortage of wood for framing may have something to do with it there...I don't know. Wood framed houses here are pretty decent on the whole but a hash of cheapness can be made of it. They are all wood and gyproc and plywood with ashphelt shingles with aluminum siding or brick (non Strutural). They last a long time and ours is 50 years old now and still looks great. A good concrete basement works wonders. Instead of wood framing rolled steel studs can be used and instead of 2x8 or 10 beams...fabricated wooden 'I' beams are now used, using a chipboard web...very stable and quiet. People mostly own their homes here which I believe makes a difference. They tend to be more demanding of design aspects probably, because of the ownership feature and look after their own properties which they have a financial interest in. All a far cry from the back to backs in Summer lane where I was born. It's not the lovely old buildings that we all regret loosing that I am writing about...just industrial ones. It won't be coming back you know...where it will all end up is anyones guess, I am pretty sure the polititions don't know.
 
There are many buildings that I have been in that yes, hold little or no historical significance, and should be pulled down for new developments. I totally agree, and would applaud developers doing so. The grey area for me is only really when there is a perfectly useable building, such as the old west heath TB hospital. There was nothing wrong structuraly, it was waiting for a grade 2 listing, the Persimmon homes come along and demolish the lot. The ground was empty for almost 2 years before they started building houses there, which have paper thin walls and look so out of place!!!
Birmingham was an industrial powerhouse many years ago, and I can't begin to imagine what has already been lost in terms of reusable buildings. The scholl of arts in Moesley should surely be another one worth saving, but again, that will probably end up in such a state that it has to be pulled down, and another supermarket that we don't want or need will be built on the land.
I only do what I do to record these places as they are and to reflect on the history of a building. I don't sugar coat them with what if's etc but if a place is worth saving for the social or historical worth it holds, then I will voice it.
 
Virusman26 said:
Just out of interest does anyone know if the Cirzon Street station building is still going to be used for anything? It's a bit of an odd place inside, and does make you wonder what on earth it could ever be used for again!!!
Click to expand...

It is actually Curzon St.

This old station is in the middle of the Eastside area, which a year or so back was planned for massive redevelopment. The station was going to be part of a huge development of flats and offices.

But then of course about a year ago HS2 (High Speed 2) rail link was announced and this threw the whole of Eastside up in the air.

Currently the main station for HS2 in Birmingham is due to be built in Eastside, right alongside the old Curzon St station.

This is a long way off, so no detailed plans for the station or area are available yet, but I hope the old station is somehow used as part of this new station, maybe as a restaurant or cafe, or maybe as offices for people who work at the station. The other option would be a museum about the area, maybe as an extension of the Thinktank museum opposite.

I have been taking many photos round Eastide in the last year or so, you can see some of them here

https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28746&p=296438
.
 
Yeah, I realised my typo after I'd submitted the thread then didn't have time to edit it! Woops!
Thanks for the info!
 
Neil, I would love to get into the old bus garage ( Palletline ) on Tyburn road before colliers knock it down. With your knack of getting into buildings maybe you could get into this one, and take some photos.
 
Frothblower said:
Neil, I would love to get into the old bus garage ( Palletline ) on Tyburn road before colliers knock it down. With your knack of getting into buildings maybe you could get into this one, and take some photos.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip off Frothy, I've got a 4 day weekend this week, so I might go and check it out!!
 
Hi guys,

I'm afraid to say that things didn't go well when I got down there the other day. Security decided that they didn't want me using the access that Frothy tipped me off about. Shame, as if I'd gotten in a bit quicker then I could see the way in right in front of me. I'll keep having a go, it just might have to be a night mission! Lol!
 
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