Editing Bull Ring, Birmingham (section)

== Redevelopment of the Bull Ring ==
===Early proposals===
[[Image:Construction of the new Bullring, Birmingham.jpg|thumb|Construction of the new Bullring in 2001]]
Plans for redevelopments began in the 1980s, with many being just visions. In 1987, the first serious plans were released under a document called "The People's Plan" which had been designed by [[Chapman Taylor|Chapman Taylor Architects]] for London and Edinburgh Trust (LET), who had bought the land following the end of Laing's lease. It proposed the full demolition of the Bull Ring Shopping Centre and the construction of a new mall described as "a huge aircraft-carrier settled on the streetscape of the city". The mall was a {{convert|500|m|adj=on}} long box with three floors.

A pressure group called Birmingham for People was formed who wanted to aid the redevelopment of the Bull Ring. They distributed leaflets of the proposals to 44,000 homes in the city. However, as a result of local opinion, LET were forced to change their proposals.

In 1988, in response to the calls for a new design, LET released a masterplan of numerous buildings with a wide pedestrianised street leading to St Martin's Church. As part of the design, two high rise buildings of a similar height to the [[Rotunda (Birmingham)|Rotunda]] were proposed to front [[Birmingham New Street railway station|New Street station]] and [[Birmingham Moor Street railway station|Moor Street station]]. However, lack of local support failed to allow the plans to materialise.<ref name="Remaking Birmingham" />

In 1995, LET again amended their designs through work with the public. However, a retail recession meant that the plans could not begin construction and they never developed.<ref>{{cite book|author=Larkham, Peter J.|title=Conservation and the City|url=https://archive.org/details/conservationcity00lark|url-access=limited|page=[https://archive.org/details/conservationcity00lark/page/n67 56]|year=1996|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-07947-0}}</ref>

===Successful proposal===

[[Image:Bullring, Birmingham (UK).jpg|thumb|[[St Martin in the Bull Ring|St Martin's Church]], with Selfridges in the background]]

After the failure of the LET plan, new plans began to surface. In the mid-1990s, another serious proposal was produced and this gained support resulting in the publication of a masterplan. However, soon after the publication of the masterplan, changes were made to the design. In 1998, Selfridges voiced reservations about opening a store in Birmingham due to restrictions on doing so and considered opening a store in [[Glasgow]] instead.<ref>{{cite web|author=Guy Jackson |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980619/ai_n14152073 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212012248/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980619/ai_n14152073 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 December 2007 |title=Red tape means blue-chip store may abandon move to city |work=The Independent |date=19 June 1998 |access-date=11 November 2006 }}</ref> It was an important part of the planned [[Redevelopment of Birmingham]].

====Construction and opening====

The successful proposal received planning permission and demolition of the 1960s Bull Ring Shopping Centre commenced in 2000 with the traders moving to the Rag Market in Edgbaston Street. It was replaced by a new design, mixing both traditional market activity with modern retail units. The main contractor was [[Sir Robert McAlpine]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/Media/Building%20The%20BullRing.pdf?MEDIA_ID=220962&FILENAME=Building%20The%20BullRing.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210193208/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/Media/Building%20The%20BullRing.pdf?MEDIA_ID=220962&FILENAME=Building%20The%20BullRing.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 February 2008 |title= Building the BullRing |publisher=Birmingham City Council |access-date=29 May 2008 }}</ref> The structural engineer was [[Waterman Group]]. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.watermangroup.com/project/bullring/ |title= Bullring|date= 25 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Ward |first1=K. |last2=Monteith |first2=R. |last3=Palmer |first3=T. |date=2002 |title=Technical paper: Geotechnical aspects of constructing the new Bullring, Birmingham |url=https://cdn.ca.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2002/08/2002-08_Pages_29-33.pdf |magazine=Ground Engineering}}</ref> The first building to be completed was the [[Nationwide Building Society]] which, while not directly connected to the shopping centre, was part of the development. A new indoor [[shopping mall|shopping centre]], "Bullring" (as the commercial entity is branded) opened on 4 September 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=13367900%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=New look for much maligned centre |publisher=icBirmingham |date=4 September 2003 |access-date=17 March 2007 |archive-date=10 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210062500/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=13367900%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Because a major road and two railway tunnels ran under the northern edge of the site, two levels of retail areas are dramatically suspended from four 45m arched steel trusses, each weighing 120 tonnes, which are supported on piles either side of the railway tunnels.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Bullring Shopping Centre|url=http://www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com/projects/?id=415|access-date=25 January 2014|archive-date=3 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203065046/http://www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com/projects/?id=415|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The first week of trading saw the new shopping centre under considerable pressure due to the large crowds it attracted. On 4 September 2003, the day of opening, some 276,600 people visited the shopping centre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=13372259%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=276,600 welcome Bullring |publisher=icBirmingham |date=5 September 2003 |access-date=17 March 2007 |archive-date=11 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211103358/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=13372259%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In year 2004 it was the busiest shopping centre in the United Kingdom with 36.5 million visitors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/post/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=14600178%26siteid=50002-name_page.html|title=UK's busiest shopping centre|publisher=icBirmingham|access-date=6 March 2008|archive-date=11 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211172210/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/post/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=14600178%26siteid=50002-name_page.html|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Birmingham Bullring panorama -England.jpg|700px|centre|thumb|The commercial heart of Birmingham; (l-r) [[St Martin in the Bull Ring|St. Martin's Church]], St. Martin's Square, the shopping complex and [[Selfridges]] building.]]
===Design and layout===
[[Image:Birmingham Selfridges building.jpg|right|upright|thumb|The Selfridges store designed by Future Systems at the Bullring]]
Bullring Shopping Centre was masterplanned and designed mainly by [[Benoy]]. The shopping centre consists of two main buildings (East and West Mall) which are connected by an underground passage lined with shops and is also accessible from St Martin's Square via glass doors. They are sheltered by a glass roof known as the SkyPlane which covers {{convert|7000|m2}} and appears to have no visible means of support.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.benoy.com/html/projects.cfm?projectID=226&level2link=&projectName=Bullring,%20Birmingham,%20UK# |title=Bullring, Birmingham, UK |publisher=Benoy |access-date=29 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707223903/http://www.benoy.com/html/projects.cfm?projectID=226&level2link=&projectName=Bullring,%20Birmingham,%20UK |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The two malls are different internally in design. The balustrades in the East Mall consist of integrated glass 'jewels' within the metal framework, and are of different colours formed through polyester powder coating.<ref>''Perfect finish for Bullring balustrades'', Finishing, 1 September 2003</ref>  It features a dramatic landmark building, housing a branch of [[Selfridges]] department store to a design by the [[Future Systems]] architectural practice. The store is clad in 15,000 shiny aluminium discs<ref name=fss>{{cite web|url=http://www.future-systems.com/architecture/architecture_03.html |title=Selfridges Birmingham |publisher=Future Systems |access-date=11 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109173355/http://www.future-systems.com/architecture/architecture_03.html |archive-date=9 November 2006 }}</ref> and was inspired by a [[Paco Rabanne]] sequinned dress.<ref name="Selfconstruct">{{cite web|url=http://www.arup.com/_assets/_download/download277.pdf |title=Selfridges, Birmingham |first1=Ed |last1=Clark |first2=David |last2=Gilpin |publisher=Arup |access-date=29 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824062516/http://www.arup.com/_assets/_download/download277.pdf |archive-date=24 August 2011 }}</ref><ref name="ArupJournal">{{cite web |url=http://www.formpig.com/pdf/formpig_ARUP%20selfridges_future%20systems.pdf |title=Selfridges, Birmingham |first1=Ed |last1=Clark |first2=David |last2=Gilpin |work=The Arup Journal |publisher=Arup |year=2006 |access-date=4 November 2013 |archive-date=17 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017022440/http://www.formpig.com/pdf/formpig_ARUP%20selfridges_future%20systems.pdf |url-status=live }} - via Formpig.com.<!-- added due to Arup source downtime--></ref> The Selfridges store cost £60 million and the contractor was [[Laing O'Rourke]]. Covering an area of {{Convert|25000|m2}}, the designs for the Selfridges store were first unveiled in 1999,<ref name=fss/> not long before demolition of the original shopping centre began. The Selfridges store has won eight awards including the [[Royal Institute of British Architects|RIBA Award for Architecture]] 2004 and Destination of the Year Retail Week Awards 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.future-systems.com/company/awards.html |title=Future Systems Awards |publisher=Future Systems |year=2004 |access-date=11 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531194606/http://www.future-systems.com/company/awards.html |archive-date=31 May 2008 }}</ref>

There is a multi-storey car park opposite Selfridges on Park Street which is connected to the Selfridges store via a 37-metre long, curved, [[polycarbonate]]-covered footbridge,<ref name="Selfconstruct"/><ref name="ArupJournal"/> known as the Parametric Bridge,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sial.rmit.edu.au/Projects/Parametric_Bridge.php |publisher=Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory |title=Parametric Bridge |access-date=29 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617121636/http://www.sial.rmit.edu.au/Projects/Parametric_Bridge.php |archive-date=17 June 2008 }}</ref> suspended over the street. On the ground floor of the car park there is retail space which was previously a furniture showroom.
[[Image:Selfridges, Birmingham escalators.jpg|left|thumb|The escalators in the interior of the Selfridges store]]
In 2005, a small [[Costa Coffee]] café, designed by Marks Barfield Architects and dubbed the Spiral Café, was constructed alongside the steps leading towards to New Street from St Martin's Square. The building's shape resembled that of shell and featured a curved bronze roof with both ends covered with glass. The main contractors were Thomas Vale and the structural engineers were Price & Myers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cda.org.uk/arch/pages/Design_awards/cia12/Spiral%20Cafe/spiralcafe.htm |title=Copper in Architecture Design Award - Spiral Cafe, St Martin's Square, Birmingham |publisher=Copper in Architecture |access-date=29 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612182753/http://www.cda.org.uk/arch/pages/Design_awards/cia12/Spiral%20Cafe/spiralcafe.htm |archive-date=12 June 2008 }}</ref> The building form is inspired by the mathematician [[Leonardo Fibonacci]] who identified natural patterns of growth found throughout the universe, from the shapes of shells and pines cones to fractal patterns within galaxies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=62 |title=Spiral Café completed |publisher=World Architecture News |date=18 July 2005 |access-date=22 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031090008/http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=62 |archive-date=31 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The café was knocked down as part of the Spiceal Street redevelopment in 2011.
[[File:The Bullring, Birmingham - geograph.org.uk - 8032.jpg|thumb|One of the new retail developments of the Bull Ring]]
The entire redevelopment was accompanied by an official project magazine and then commemorated with an 'art book' style book which covered Bullring's transformation in illustration and photography. Both book and magazine were produced by specialist publisher Alma Media International on behalf of the developers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.almamedia.co.uk/bullring.html |title=BULLRING |publisher=Alma Media |access-date=29 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121151936/http://www.almamedia.co.uk/bullring.html |archive-date=21 November 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The shopping centre's design has both its admirers and detractors. In 2008, a poll conducted in conjunction with ''[[SimCity Creator]]'' stated that Bullring was the ugliest building in the country,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/birmingham-named-uks-ugliest-city-963311.html?startindex=50 |title=Birmingham named UK's ugliest city |date=16 October 2008 |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=1 November 2008 |location=London |archive-date=10 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210124010/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/birmingham-named-uks-ugliest-city-963311.html?startindex=50 |url-status=live }}</ref> although the poll has been criticised.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.channel4.com/4homes/2008/10/14/dubious-list-of-uks-ugliest-buildings-released/ |title=Dubious List of UK's Ugliest Buildings Released |last=Payne |first=Rich |date=14 October 2008 |publisher=4Homes (Channel 4) |access-date=1 November 2008 |archive-date=10 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210170210/http://blogs.channel4.com/4homes/2008/10/14/dubious-list-of-uks-ugliest-buildings-released/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Spiceal Street====
On 6 September 2010, plans were announced for a {{convert|20000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} expansion with the creation of three new restaurant units totalling around {{convert|10000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} in St Martins Square with the existing [[Pizza Hut]] and [[Nandos]] to be extended out closer to St Martins Church and thus expanded. The new restaurants are 'Browns Bar & Brasserie' and 'Chaobaby', opening their first restaurants in Birmingham in the larger two of the units closest to Jamies Italian. The third unit, closest to Selfridges is home to '[[Handmade Burger Co]]'. In addition to the existing [[Nandos]], [[Wagamama]], [[Pizza Hut]], [[Jamie Oliver|Jamie's Italian]] and 'Mount Fuiji'. this has created a hub of seven restaurants named after the traditional Spiceal Street. Construction of the part indoor, part outdoor development commenced in March 2011 and consists of a glass, wooden and aluminium exterior and "ribbon" effect roof. The award-winning Spiral Cafe that was once sited here has been relocated off-site. The new Spiceal Street opened on 24 November 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.browsebullring.co.uk/food-news/spiceal-street-at-bullring/|title=Spiceal Street|access-date=6 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130165135/http://www.browsebullring.co.uk/food-news/spiceal-street-at-bullring/|archive-date=30 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since then, Jamie's Italian closed after the company went into administration in May 2019, and Handmade Burger Co would suffer the same fate 8 months later in January 2020, later to be replaced by Vietnamese Street Kitchen.

=== Artwork ===
[[File:Bullring Bull.jpg|thumb|The Bullring Bull]]
[[Image:Nelson Statue in Birmingham.jpg|right|upright|thumb|Statue of Lord Nelson on the Portland plinth and railings surrounding it]]

Numerous pieces of artwork are in the grounds of the centre:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/your_birmingham/bullring/bullring_art.shtml |title=Art of the Bullring |publisher=BBC Birmingham |date=September 2003 |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-date=16 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416085200/http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/your_birmingham/bullring/bullring_art.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

*A {{convert|120|m2|sigfig=3|adj=on}} glass mural by artist [[Martin Donlin]] faces the entrance to [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham New Street station]].
*Three ''light wand''s of varying height stand in Rotunda square near the entrances to both wings of Bullring. The wands sway in the wind and reflective platforms which protrude from the main [[carbon fibre]] core reflect light to create a beacon effect. At night the cores are illuminated in the colours of the shafts which are blue, green and red.
*At the main entrance to the west building stands ''The Guardian'', a {{convert|2.2|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} [[bronze]] [[sculpture]] of a running, turning bull. It was created by [[Laurence Broderick]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=14640186%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=Sculptor finally given plaque tribute |publisher=icBirmingham |date=14 September 2004 |access-date=17 September 2007 |archive-date=10 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210062505/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=14640186%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and has become a very popular photographic feature for visitors to Birmingham. The statue was vandalised in 2005,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=15678917%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210062515/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_method%3Dfull%26objectid%3D15678917%26siteid%3D50002-name_page.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 February 2009 |title=Bully's put out of sight |work=Birmingham Mail|date=29 June 2005 |access-date=17 March 2007 }}</ref> requiring that it be removed for repairs, but was returned to its spot again later that year. The sculptor gave support to calls for the statue to be renamed "Brummie the Bull". However, it is more widely known as simply "The Bull".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/cityliving/bullring/tm_objectid=13593347%26method=full%26siteid=50002%26headline=bull%2ds%2dcreator%2dbacks%2dname%2dcampaign-name_page.html |title=Bull's creator backs name campaign |publisher=icBirmingham |date=6 November 2003 |access-date=11 November 2006 |archive-date=26 August 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040826191815/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/cityliving/bullring/tm_objectid=13593347%26method=full%26siteid=50002%26headline=bull%2ds%2dcreator%2dbacks%2dname%2dcampaign-name_page.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The sculpture was vandalised again in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=16671742%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211103458/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_method%3Dfull%26objectid%3D16671742%26siteid%3D50002-name_page.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 February 2009 |title=Brum's bull in new vandal attack |work=Birmingham Mail|date=6 February 2006 |access-date=17 March 2007 }}</ref>  
*Looking over St Martin's Square is the [[Statue of Horatio Nelson, Birmingham|statue of Horatio Nelson]]. The bronze statue was the first public monument for Birmingham and was sculpted by [[Richard Westmacott]]. It is also the first figurative memorial to [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Lord Nelson]] to be erected in Great Britain (only second in the world after [[Montreal]]) and was unveiled on 25 October 1809, as part of [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]]'s [[Golden Jubilee]] celebrations. It was originally located on the edge of the previous Bull Ring and stood on a marble base, but this was damaged when the statue was moved in 1958 and the current [[Portland stone]] plinth dates from 1960. As part of the Bullring development, the developer agreed to restore the statue and railings, but in 2003 when the Bullring opened, there was no sign of the railings. The [[Birmingham Civic Society]] mounted a campaign to get the railings re-instated, whilst Bullring argued they were a health and safety risk and would destroy the openness of the public space. However, the railing were re-instated in September 2005 for the bi-centenary celebrations of the [[Battle of Trafalgar]].
*As each [[Christmas]] approaches, a silver-coloured structure is erected in St Martin's Square which resembles a stylised [[Christmas tree]]. Large chrome balls hang within the conical-shaped structure which is adorned in chrome stars. Large 3-dimensional stars hang between both buildings. Both the stars and chrome sculpture are illuminated at night.
*On 4 June 2008, the 'Bullring Britannia', a cruise ship located outside the shopping centre in St Martin's Square, was unveiled by the shopping centre owners. Throughout the summer, events took place aboard the ship including fashion shows, Mr Sexy Legs competition and activities for children.

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{{wide image|Panorama Birmingham Bullring.jpg|1700px|A nighttime 360° panorama of the shopping centre with numerous Christmas decorations visible}}