Editing Bull Ring, Birmingham

{{Short description|Major shopping area in Birmingham city centre, England}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Bull Ring
| image = Aerial Bull Ring Birmingham.jpg
| caption = Aerial view of the Bull Ring in 2011, showing St Martin's Square, Selfridges (right), and the Bull Ring Outdoor Market (bottom-left), bounded by the [[St Martin in the Bull Ring]] church
| logo = <!-- logo is for "bullring", article is about the wider area -->
| location = [[Birmingham]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|52|28|39.72|N|1|53|39.04|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| opening_date = 
| website = 
}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Bullring
| image = Bull Ring Shopping Centre, Birmingham (3) (8568046823).jpg
| caption = Interior of the Bullring shopping centre
| logo = Bullring.png
| location = 
| opening_date = {{Start date and age|2003|09|04|df=yes}}
| developer = The Birmingham Alliance
| architect = [[Benoy]]
| manager = Tim Walley
| owner = * [[Hammerson]] (50%)
* Henderson Shopping Centre Fund (33.3%)
* [[CPP Investment Board|CPPIB]] (16.7%)
| parking = 3,100<ref>[http://www.bullring.co.uk/visitor-info/parking "Parking"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817233213/http://www.bullring.co.uk/visitor-info/parking |date=17 August 2013 }}. Bullring.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2013.</ref>
| mapframe = no
| number_of_stores = 140<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bullring.co.uk/website/ListShowItem.aspx?ParentSectionId=f2a10b73-384e-49e7-8eaf-e97019cb7ea3&ContentInstanceId=026f57e1-9fde-4da7-96d1-bfe735dd3ed8|title=Bullring Facts|publisher= Official Bullring Website |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923044955/http://bullring.co.uk/website/ListShowItem.aspx?ParentSectionId=f2a10b73-384e-49e7-8eaf-e97019cb7ea3&ContentInstanceId=026f57e1-9fde-4da7-96d1-bfe735dd3ed8 |archive-date=23 September 2010}}</ref>
| number_of_anchors = 3
([[Marks & Spencer]], [[Selfridges]], [[TK Maxx]]<ref>[http://www.bullring.co.uk/website/ContentInstance.aspx?contentInstanceId=7b0e6f1b-087b-47cc-b1a1-7fac5b816f71]{{dead link|date=November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-architect.co.uk/birmingham/birmingham_bullring.htm |title=Bullring Birmingham - Bullring Shops &#124; Birmingham Shopping Centre |date=4 February 2010 |publisher=E-architect.co.uk |access-date=4 November 2013 |archive-date=17 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617234748/http://www.e-architect.co.uk/birmingham/birmingham_bullring.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2023/11/ms-birmingham-bullring/ | title=In pictures: M&S opens new Birmingham Bullring store - Retail Gazette | date=7 November 2023 }}</ref>)
| floor_area = {{convert|1585000|sqft|m2}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://retailproperty.cushwake.com/cog-media/scheme/3/3794/CG_The_Bullring_Estate_Birmingham_site_plan_2019-02-14-11-56-08.pdf |access-date=2019-04-19 |title=The Birmingham Bullring Estate Site Plan |publisher=Hammerson |date=2019-02-14 |archive-date=19 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419153631/http://retailproperty.cushwake.com/cog-media/scheme/3/3794/CG_The_Bullring_Estate_Birmingham_site_plan_2019-02-14-11-56-08.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://retailproperty.cushwake.com/scheme/3794/The-Bullring-Estate-Birmingham|title=Birmingham, The Bullring Estate :: Scheme Overview :: Cushman & Wakefield|website=retailproperty.cushwake.com|access-date=2019-04-19|archive-date=19 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419153605/http://retailproperty.cushwake.com/scheme/3794/The-Bullring-Estate-Birmingham|url-status=live}}</ref>
| floors = 4 (3 accessible from outside)
| website = {{url|bullring.co.uk}}
}}

'''The Bull Ring''' is a major shopping area in central [[Birmingham]], England, consisting of open-air and indoor [[market stall]]s as well as a large indoor [[Shopping mall|shopping centre]]. 

The Bull Ring has been an important feature of Birmingham since the [[Middle Ages]], when its market was first held, developing into its main market when the town grew into an industrial city. The current shopping centre complex, styled as "Bullring", forms the United Kingdom's largest city centre based shopping centre when coupled with [[Grand Central, Birmingham|Grand Central]], to which it is connected via a [[Footbridge|pedestrian overpass]], collectively branded as '''Bullring & Grand Central'''. The current Bullring opened in 2003, replacing a previous 1960s complex,<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2191563.stm</ref> and houses one of  only four [[Selfridges]] department stores in the country.

The site is located on the edge of the [[sandstone]] city ridge which results in the steep gradient towards [[Digbeth]]. The slope drops approximately {{convert|15|m}} from [[New Street, Birmingham|New Street]] to [[St Martin in the Bull Ring|St Martin's Church]] and is visible near the church.<ref name="Remaking Birmingham">{{cite book |title=Remaking Birmingham: The Visual Culture of Urban Regeneration |url=https://archive.org/details/remakingbirmingh00kenn |url-access=limited |pages=[https://archive.org/details/remakingbirmingh00kenn/page/n29 17]–18 |year=2004 |publisher=Kennedy, Routledge Ltd. |isbn=0-415-28839-8}}</ref>

== Toponym ==
The area was first known as Corn Cheaping, a reference to the corn market on the site. The name Bull Ring referred to the green within Corn Cheaping that was used for [[bull-baiting]]. The 'ring' was a hoop of iron in Corn Cheaping to which bulls were tied for baiting before slaughter.<ref name="bgfl">{{cite web |url=http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/teacher/history/jm_jones/jmj_maps_2/page3.htm |title=The Centre of Birmingham |publisher=Birmingham Grid For Learning |author=John Morris Jones |access-date=29 May 2008 |archive-date=23 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623002821/http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/teacher/history/jm_jones/jmj_maps_2/page3.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The joining of the two words in the 21st-century development of the area to form Bullring caused controversy amongst some residents and others who were angry at the change of what was described as a "historic spelling".<ref>''I'VE JUST TWO WORDS FOR IT!; Name change protest'' - ''Birmingham Evening Mail'', 29 August 2003</ref>
== History of the markets ==
[[File:Untitled (A view in Birmingham) - John Inigo Richards.webp|thumb|The High Cross or Old Cross, in front of St. Martin's Church, painted by [[John Inigo Richards]]  ]]

The market legally began in 1154 when [[Peter de Bermingham]], a local landowner, obtained a [[Royal charter|Charter of Marketing Rights]] from [[Henry II of England|King Henry II]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lerwill-life.org.uk/history/homebrum.htm |title=Birmingham - its history and traditions |publisher=John Lerwill |author=John Lerwill |access-date=29 May 2008 |archive-date=15 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315205551/http://www.lerwill-life.org.uk/history/homebrum.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Initially, a textile trade began developing in the area and it was first mentioned in 1232 in a document, in which one merchant is described as a business partner to William de Bermingham and being in the ownership of four weavers, a smith, a tailor and a purveyor. Seven years later, another document described another mercer in the area. Within the next ten years, the area developed into a leading market town and a major cloth trade was established.

The name Mercer Street is first mentioned in the Survey of Birmingham of 1553. This was a result of the prominence of the area in the cloth trade. In the 16th century and 17th century, Mercer Street rapidly developed and became cramped. In the early 18th century Mercer Street was known as Spicer Street, reflecting the growing grocery and meat trade that had begun to take over from the cloth trade. By the end of the century the street was known as Spiceal Street. Despite being overcrowded and cramped, many houses on the street had gardens as indicated by an advertisement for a residential property in 1798. Houses were constructed close to St Martin's Church, eventually encircling it. These became known as the Roundabout Houses.<ref name="bgfl" />

On a map produced by Westley in 1731, other markets had developed nearby including food, cattle and corn markets with other markets located nearby on the High Street. This corn market was moved to the Corn Exchange on Carrs Lane in 1848. The Bull Ring developed into the main retail market area for Birmingham as the town grew into a modern industrial city.

The earliest known building for public meetings in the town with any architectural record is the High Cross, which stood within the Bull Ring. The last known construction work was in 1703; it was demolished in 1784. The cross was also known as the Old Cross, to distinguish it from the Welch Cross, and was also nicknamed the Butter Cross due to farmwives selling dairy produce beneath its arches.<ref name="bgfl" />

A series of events in Birmingham's political history saw the area become a popular meeting place for [[Demonstration (people)|demonstrations]] and speeches from leaders of [[working class]] movements during the 1830s and 1840s.

===Bull Ring Riots, 1839===
In 1839, the Bull Ring was the location of the Bull Ring Riots. The first riot occurred on 4 July 1839, after [[List of mayors of Birmingham|Mayor]] [[William Scholefield]] had read the [[Riot Act]] before a meeting of [[Chartists]] and then deployed 60 officers of the [[Metropolitan Police]] when they failed to disperse.<ref name="Weaver Bull Ring">{{cite journal |last1=Weaver |first1=Michael |title=The Birmingham Bull Ring Riots of 1839: Variations on a Theme of Class Conflict |journal=Social Science Quarterly |date=1997 |volume=78 |issue=1 |pages=137–148 |jstor=42863680 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/42863680 |issn=0038-4941}}</ref> There was widespread vandalism and destruction of property. The riots prompted fears amongst the town's residents at the council's inability to prevent or control the riots and led to speculation that the council was tolerant of lawlessness.<ref>{{cite book|author=Rodrick, Anne Baltz|title=Self-Help and Civic Culture: Citizenship in the Victorian Birmingham|page=65|year=2004|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Ltd|isbn=0-7546-3307-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Max |last=Morris |title=From Cobbett to the Chartists, 1815-1848: extracts from contemporary sources |page=151 |year=1951 |publisher=Lawrence & Wishart}}</ref> Because of disorderly behaviour at fairs, in 1861 the area, along with [[Smithfield, Birmingham|Smithfield]] and Digbeth, became the only place in central Birmingham where fairs were permitted. In 1875, all fairs were banned from the town.<ref>A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham (1964), pp. 251-252 [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22969 'Economic and Social History: Markets and Fairs'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140830011154/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22969 |date=30 August 2014 }} British History Online; Date Retrieved 29 May 2008</ref>

The area around the market site developed and, by the [[Victorian era]], a large number of shops were operating there. Immigrants set up businesses such as flower-sellers and [[umbrella]] vendors. The [[Lord Nelson]] statue became the location for [[preaching]] and political protests. Well-known preachers of the time were nicknamed ''Holy Joe'' and ''Jimmy Jesus''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=25170&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=10277 |title=The Bull Ring - Then and Now: Victorian and Edwardian Days |publisher=Birmingham City Council |access-date=29 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510164238/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=25170&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=10277 |archive-date=10 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Markets in the Bull Ring ===
[[Image:Bull Ring Birmingham 1880's.jpg|thumb|right|The Bull Ring viewed from the High Street in the 1880s.]]
[[File:Birmingham Market Hall.PNG|thumb|right|A drawing of the entrance to [[Birmingham Market Hall|the Market Hall]] from William Hutton's ''The History of Birmingham'', published in 1836.]]

In the late 18th century, [[Birmingham Street Commissioners|street commissioners]] were authorised to buy and demolish houses in the town centre, including houses surrounding the Bull Ring, and to centre all market activity in the area. This was a result of new markets being established across the city in scattered locations creating severe congestion. Demolition of these properties began slowly; however, after the [[Birmingham Improvement Act 1801]], the speed of demolition increased and by 1810 all properties in the area had been cleared as according to the 1810 Map of Birmingham by Kempson. During the clearance, small streets such as The Shambles, Cock (or Well) Street and Corn Cheaping, which had existed before the Bull Ring, were removed. The Shambles was originally a row of butchers' stores, situated close to the road leading from the location where bulls were slaughtered.<ref name="bgfl" />

A wide area fronting [[St Martin in the Bull Ring|St Martin's Church]] formed the marketplace. The Street Commissioners decided that a sheltered market hall was needed. They bought the market rights from the lord of the manor and, by 1832, all properties on site had been purchased, with exception of two, whose owners demanded a higher price. To fund the purchase of these properties, two buildings were constructed either side of the market hall and the leases sold at auction. Construction of [[Birmingham Market Hall|the Market Hall]], designed by [[Charles Edge (architect)|Charles Edge]] (an architect of [[Birmingham Town Hall]]), began in February 1833. It was completed by Dewsbury and Walthews at a cost of £20,000 (£44,800 if the price of acquiring the land is included) and opened on 12 February 1835 and contained 600 market stalls.

In 1869, the [[fish market]] was completed on the site of the Nelson Hotel (formerly the Dog Inn). The Dog Inn was located at the top end of Spiceal Street and the land above was owned by the Cowper family. The fish market was built upon Cowper Street, named after the family, on Summer Lane. In 1884, a sheltered vegetable market in Jamaica Row was also completed.

The trade of [[horse]]s prospered in the area with over 3,000 horses for sale at its peak during the 1880s. However this fell into rapid decline; the last horse trading fair took place in 1911 with only eleven horses and one donkey in attendance.
[[File:Bull Ring Blitz.jpg|thumb|right|Destruction of the Bull Ring in the [[Birmingham Blitz]] in 1940]]
[[File:Bull Ring outdoor market. - geograph.org.uk - 708018.jpg|thumb|Bull Ring outdoor market in 2002]]
A large amount of the area survived [[World War II]]; however, nearby [[New Street, Birmingham|New Street]] was heavily bombed. Shops sold tax-free products to encourage shoppers to buy them as it was difficult for the public to buy goods even a decade after the end of the war. [[Woolworths (United Kingdom)|Woolworths]] set up on Spiceal Street in the Bull Ring and became a popular shop, becoming the largest store on the street. The old Market Hall was gutted on 25 August 1940 by an [[incendiary bomb|incendiary attack]], and remained as an empty shell, used for small exhibitions and open markets. No repair work was conducted on the building and the arches that housed the windows were bricked up.

=== Archaeology on the site ===
As the redevelopment of 2000 began, archaeological excavations were conducted on the site. Finds dated back to the 12th century; a ditch was discovered where the [[Selfridges]] store and Park Street car park are now situated. Archaeologists discovered that this was a boundary separating houses from a deer park in an area now occupied by [[Birmingham Moor Street railway station|Moor Street station]]. Rubbish discovered in the ditch was found to include fragments of misfired pottery with criss-cross patterns, indicating that pottery kilns had been located there in the 13th century. Many [[leather tanning]] pits dating to the 17th and 18th centuries were found on the Park Street car park site. These contained fragments of [[crucible]]s, pottery vessels in which metal was melted. The residues in these were alloys of copper with zinc, lead and tin. On the site where the Indoor Markets are now located, archaeologists discovered further leather tanning pits, these dating from the 13th century.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

Burials had also been discovered in the churchyard of [[St Martin in the Bull Ring|St Martin's]] dating to the 18th and 19th century. Records of families were used to identify the bodies.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

Four information panels providing information on the discoveries and history of the site are in the Bull Ring at St Martin's Square, Edgbaston Street, Park Street and High Street.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

== The first Bull Ring Centre ==
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2010}}
[[File:Old Bullring.jpg|thumb|300px|The Old Bull Ring Centre with bull mural, with markets in the foreground, and Rotunda in the background]]
In 1955, shops began to close down as the redevelopment of the area was proposed. Plans drawn up showed the creation of new roads and the demolition of old ones and all the buildings on the proposed site. Eleven companies submitted plans for the new Bull Ring however, Birmingham City Council elected to go for the proposals submitted by [[John Laing Group|John Laing & Sons]]<ref>Ritchie, p. 140</ref> which used substantial material from designs by [[Jim Roberts (architect)|James A. Roberts]]. Demolition began in the late-1950s beginning with the demolition of the old fish market. Construction commenced in the summer of 1961.

The outdoor market area was opened in June 1962 with 150 stalls within the new Bull Ring, which was still under construction.

In 1964, construction of the Birmingham Bull Ring Centre neared completion. It was a mixture of traditional open-air market stalls and a new indoor shopping centre, the first indoor city-centre shopping centre in the UK.<ref name="Remaking Birmingham" /> It was opened by the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] alongside [[Alderman Frank Price]] and Sir [[Herbert Manzoni]] on 29 May 1964 and had cost an estimated £8 million. The shopping centre covered {{convert|23|acre|m2}} and had {{convert|350000|sqft|abbr=on}} of retail trade area. Shortly after opening, the complex was visited by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]].

On the lower level of the shopping centre was the Bull Ring Bus Station which was used mostly by Midland Red and its successors.  Midland Red West operated a travel centre there until closure of the bus station.

The market area was submerged and had approximately 150 stalls with the majority selling food. It was split by a large road which connected to the inner ring road which was built from 1967 till 1971. There was direct access to [[Birmingham New Street railway station|New Street station]] and the market area could be easily accessed from [[Birmingham Moor Street railway station|Moor Street station]]. A [[multi-storey car park]] was also located within the complex with 500 spaces for cars. Access to roads by foot could be achieved through a network of subways. As part of the development, a nine-storey office block designed by [[Jim Roberts (architect)|James A. Roberts]] was built. This was attached to the multi-storey car park. The floors were of reinforced concrete, 12&nbsp;inches in thickness. A bold illuminated sign by D.R.U. was located on the end wall, facing the city centre.<ref>{{cite book|author=Douglas Hickman|title=Birmingham|year=1970|publisher=Studio Vista Ltd.|page=71}}</ref>

Jamaica Row and Spiceal Street had been demolished and removed during the development, being replaced by a submerged market area.

There were 140 shop units located on {{convert|350000|sqft}} of room on a {{convert|4|acre|m2|adj=on}} site. There were also 19 escalators, 40 lifts, 96 public doors, six miles (10&nbsp;km) of air ducting and {{convert|33|mi}} of pipe work.<ref name="Decker">{{cite book|author=Deckker, Thomas|title=The Modern City Revisited|year=2000|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=0-419-25640-7}}</ref> The shopping centre was air conditioned and had [[music]] played to create an intimate atmosphere within the building.

The remains of old Market Hall were demolished in 1963 and replaced by Manzoni Gardens; an open space designed for shoppers to relax. In the 1970s a [[King Kong statue|statue of King Kong]] stood there.

A mural of a bull was located on the side of the building as visitors entered via the road splitting the market area.

The 1960s' Bull Ring Centre had problems from the beginning and was very much a product of its era. At the time of its opening it was considered the height of modernity, but higher rentals within the shopping centre meant that traders turned away from it. The public were also less inclined to use the subways and escalators, which stopped working regularly. Also, it did not age well and soon became generally regarded as an unfortunate example of 1960s [[Brutalist architecture]], with its boxy grey [[concrete]] design and its isolation within ringroads connected only by pedestrian subways. It was, by the 1980s, much disliked by the public and contributed to the popular conception that Birmingham was a concrete jungle of shopping centres and motorways.<ref>{{cite news|title=Historian says Bullring lacks heart|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/3078514.stm|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=27 February 2013|archive-date=24 June 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060624023041/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/3078514.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2015, [[Historic England]] included the four bull ring murals, designed by [[Trewin Copplestone]], which decorated the outside walls of the shopping centre, in a list of public works that have been lost, sold, stolen or destroyed.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hurst|first1=Ben|title=Search launched for missing nine ton Bull Ring bulls|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/search-launched-missing-nine-ton-10614608|access-date=27 December 2015|work=Birmingham Mail|date=17 December 2015|archive-date=22 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222001013/http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/search-launched-missing-nine-ton-10614608|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Help Find Our Missing Art|date=15 December 2015 |url=http://www.historicengland.org.uk/news-and-features/missing-public-art/|publisher=Historic England|access-date=27 December 2015|archive-date=21 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221104435/http://www.historicengland.org.uk/news-and-features/missing-public-art/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Rotunda===
{{Main|Rotunda (Birmingham)}}

A part of the James A. Roberts design for the first Bull Ring Shopping Centre included a 12-storey circular office block. However, upon revising his design this was increased to 25 storeys. As a result of this, plans for a revolving rooftop restaurant and a cinema were dropped. This became the [[Rotunda (Birmingham)|Rotunda]] and is a surviving component of the 1960s development. Due to problems during construction, the building never reached the intended height. Although never used, the revolving section remains in place due to the late decision to drop the restaurant from the plans.

The Rotunda has been converted into apartments by developers [[Urban Splash]]. Although located close to the development and constructed at the same time as the 1960s centre, it was not part of the development despite being included in the design.{{Clarify|date=March 2008}} A poem is engraved into one of the stones in the wall of the Bullring dedicated to the Rotunda. The public space to the front of both malls facing the High Street and New Street is named Rotunda Square after the building.

{{clr}}
== 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.

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

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|author=Baird, Patrick|title=The Bull Ring, Birmingham|date=28 April 2004|publisher=Sutton Publishing|isbn=0-7509-2920-0}}
* {{cite book|author=Chinn, Carl|author-link=Carl Chinn|title=Brum and Brummies: Volume 2|pages=Chapter 1: The Heart of Brum: The Bull Ring|year=2001|publisher=Brewin |isbn=1-85858-202-4|no-pp=true}}
* {{cite book|author=Laing|title=The Bull Ring Centre|publisher=Laing developers|year=1960}}
* {{cite book|author=Price, Victor J.|title=The Bull Ring remembered: the heart of Birmingham and market areas|year=1989|publisher=Studley: Brewin}}
* {{cite book|first=Berry|last=Ritchie|title=The Good Builder: The John Laing Story|publisher=James & James|year=1997}}
* {{cite book|author=Stephens, W.B.|title="The Growth of the City", A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham|year=1964}}
* {{cite book|author=Upton, Chris|title=A History of Birmingham|pages=Chapter 26: The Changing Bull Ring|year=1993|publisher=Phillimore |isbn=0-85033-870-0|no-pp=true}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://archive.today/20130118165223/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=43295 Birmingham. Bull Ring Centre Opened, 1964] ([[Pathé News|Pathé newsreel]])
*[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.asp?sheetid=10098&ox=2194&oy=1978&zm=1&czm=1&x=301&y=261 1890 Ordnance Survey map of the Bull Ring] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928045336/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.asp?sheetid=10098&ox=2194&oy=1978&zm=1&czm=1&x=301&y=261 |date=28 September 2007 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090210150954/http://www.benflatman.com/Bull%20Ring/Bull%20Ring.html Article on the architecture of the new Bull Ring shopping centre]

{{BirminghamBuildings}}
{{Shopping centres in West Midlands}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1154 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Shopping centres in the West Midlands (county)]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Shopping malls established in 2003]]
[[Category:Shopping malls established in 1964]]