Birmingham tower block once home to the cast of Crossroads comes down
A LANDMARK Birmingham city centre tower which was once home to the cast of Crossroads has started to come toppling down.
Stephenson Tower was hailed as the blueprint for city living when it was opened to great fanfare in 1966.
But it became a 20-storey eyesore which loomed over the equally grey and tired New Street station.
Contractors have now begun to take the building apart brick by brick to make way for a huge new John Lewis department store.
The shop will form part of the redeveloped station, which has been undergoing a £600 million transformation since last year.
City council leader Mike Whitby said: “We finally got the money to start this project last year and a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes.
“This is the first time that passengers will be able to see how we are transforming the city’s skyline and creating a world class station for Birmingham.”
Work is also about to start on creating an atrium which will bring light flooding in to the station concourse for the first time in 40 years.
Later this year, the first sections of polished steel cladding will be manoeuvred in to place on the outside of the building.
Network Rail’s project sponsor Richard Kirkman said that passengers would start to see the benefit when the western part of the concourse – a car park until last summer – opens at the end of 2012.
“Most of what we have done so far has been in the bowels of the old building but we are in a position where we can make a start on changing the appearance of New Street and creating something iconic,” he said.
The tower has been stripped of fittings and asbestos and will be taken down over six months.
It was not suitable for demolition using explosives because of its position in the heart of the city centre, said Mr Kirkman.
