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Birmingham Central Library 1974 - 2015

The "old" Paradise Forum pink letters are being taken down. Seen from the Discovery Terrace at the Library of Birmingham.

 
Thanks Ell for keeping us updated. Personally I feel very little attachment to the building. But it is another inportant phase in the history of Birmingham. Madin's buildings will soon be very few and far between. Viv.
 
No problem Viv.

I'm still waiting to see when the Powergen building in Shirley, Solihull gets pulled down.
 
It would appear that not all the paper work was removed when the library, and the roadway closed https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/25206905204/in/dateposted/
and https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/25206905734/in/dateposted/
and https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/25536747630/in/photostream/

It has to be said I suspect that the old ledgers you can see in the photos belong to the Council Offices and not the former library, (till proved other) having said that I would have thought that the ledgers and folders would have been removed before demolition started, the the ledgers goes along a corridor (out of sight )and a long corridor?)
 
Is the man controlling the oversized dentist's drill trained to break these things down in a particular way? Must say I was right there with him, rooting for him to prise those whopping chunks of concrete off, and almost clapped when he did!! Viv.
 
It is done in controlled way they have to make certain that none of the other machines are in the way, this morning they had to change from the jaws to the chisel? tool, in doing this they have to disconnect the water supply to the machine, all of this takes time the other problem they are having is the concrete is very, very, very, hard to break whatever the original date for completion I would think has now passed by, they also have spotters who then tell the best way to attack? the building via radio, as the machine operator has a limited view from below


Vivienne14 said:
Is the man controlling the oversized dentist's drill trained to break these things down in a particular way? Must say I was right there with him, rooting for him to prise those whopping chunks of concrete off, and almost clapped when he did!! Viv.
Click to expand...
 
It's amazing that most people assume these 60s buildings weren't built to last, but in terms of their structure they're proving very challenging to remove. Viv.
 
Its interesting what people think is worth preserving as art. The link below from the internet archive is :
"Demolition vehicles rip into the carcass of the old Birmingham Central Library, while a busker bugles merrily on. Recorded from the corner of Chamberlain Square with a Zoom H4N and wind muff."

https://archive.org/details/aporee_31305_35989




"
 
I know what I would like to do with that chaps bugle just to see if he could play any better with it, but enough of that more of the build has gone today https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/26008659415/in/dateposted/


mikejee said:
Its interesting what people think is worth preserving as art. The link below from the internet archive is :
"Demolition vehicles rip into the carcass of the old Birmingham Central Library, while a busker bugles merrily on. Recorded from the corner of Chamberlain Square with a Zoom H4N and wind muff."

https://archive.org/details/aporee_31305_35989




"
Click to expand...
 
Thanks both. I'm actually enjoying watching these clips of the demolition ! It's slightly surreal in that you can't really judge the size of the concrete/steel etc being chipped at and torn away. As each piece comes away, it looks relatively insignificant but in the last clip almost a whole floor of what might have been complete office came away in one piece. Viv.
 
Thanks Ell. The Chamberlain fountain's looking vulnerable. As there's a 'History in the Making' sign around the perimeter, I expect there'll be a film made of the demolition process. Viv.
 
There is the webcam that records it every day, think it's somewhere in the museum.

In my third photo is a sign saying "This way to the Jewellery Quarter". Not sure why they didn't take it down!

It's Fletchers Walk at the moment to get to Broad Street and Centenary Square.
 
Some birds eye photos from the Secret Garden - Level 7 at the Library of Birmingham. Took them on Saturday 9th April 2016







The former entrance to Paradise Forum



 
mikejee said:
A new book is coming out about the library (the one now being demolished), and launched on 26th . See https://ikon.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmai...EF23F30FEDED/A1A73DF85CC00A524936C359EC0425C0
Click to expand...

I see that book is by Alan Clawley.

I met him the day the demolition of the library started.

I went up there with my camera to take some photos of the start of the demolition and after a while most of the people watching had drifted away and I was one of the few left.

A man came up to me (I had no idea who he was) and asked me for my feelings of the library being demolished and I said I was very much in favour.

He introduced himself as Alan Clawley and said he had been part of the campaign to stop the demolition of the library and we chatted for quite a while.

He tried to get me to change my mind but I said I was still convinced the library had to go.

Later I saw him being interviewed by the BBC in front of the part demolished library. You may have seen it on Midlands Today.

He seems to have a whole section on the "Birmingham Press" web site

https://thebirminghampress.com/tag/alan-clawley/
.
 
I wondered what support the stop the demolition campaign had.

Nice touch in Ell's fourth photo post #70 (copied here hope that's OK Ell). As the 1960s photographer captured the old and the new, so has Ell in his photo. Viv.


image.jpeg


image.jpeg
Photo by Ellbrown 2016
 
The new forum looks different. Subscribed threads moved to "Watched Threads".

Yes Viv it's fine.


Although my pic is from the new Library of Birmingham overlooking Centenary Square.

While the old photo is probably from Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery overlooking Chamberlain Square!
 
Is it me or is there something amusing about "Open as usual" in Ell's last photo!!! Viv.
 
That's for the restaurants on Summer Row, although you would have to take a walking diversion, probably over towards the Newhall Street / Great Charles Street Queensway crossing to reach them!
 
Some more from Chamberlain Square





Paradise Lost






I found some views behind the blinds in the Birmingham History Galleries at BM & AG. Many objects have been removed to protect them from damage.



A deserted Chamberlain Square




This is the view of the Sandpits roadworks on the other side of the gallery.



 
The view from Victoria Square and Chamberlain Square keeps changing!

Today's view from Chamberlain Square.

 
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