Millennium Point, Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Millennium Point |
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| General information | |
| Type | Mixed Use |
| Location | Curzon Street, Birmingham, England |
| Completed | September 2001 |
| Cost | 114 million Pound sterling |
| Owner | Millennium Point Trust |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Grimshaw Architects |
| Structural engineer | Buro Happold |
| Civil engineer | Ove Arup & Partners |
| Main contractor | Galliford Try |
Millennium Point is a large, modern building in Birmingham, England. It's a place where many different things happen, like meetings, events, and learning. You can find it in the Eastside area of the city centre.
This building is home to several important places. These include the Thinktank Science Museum, a big auditorium (which used to be a huge cinema), and parts of Birmingham City University. The university uses the building for its technology and engineering students, and also for the Birmingham School of Acting.
Millennium Point is owned by a special group called the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. This trust uses money earned from the building's activities to help support education in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) in the West Midlands. They have given millions of pounds to the region for these projects.
The building officially opened on July 2, 2002, with a visit from Queen Elizabeth II. However, it had already been in use since the year before. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Millennium Point became one of the first large vaccination centres in the UK. It helped many people get their vaccines.
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What's Inside Millennium Point?
The main goal of Millennium Point is education. That's why it's home to the Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. This museum is a fantastic place for kids and families to explore science.
The biggest part of the building is used by Birmingham City University. Their students study things like computing, engineering, and the built environment here. The university also runs the Birmingham School of Acting in the building, where future actors learn their craft.
How Millennium Point Was Designed
Millennium Point was a special project funded by the Millennium Commission. It was designed by a famous architecture company called Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners. The building cost about £114 million to build. A big part of this money, £50 million, came from the National Lottery.
The building looks mostly like a large box, or cuboid. But it also has a round part sticking out, which used to hold the cinema. This round section lights up with different colours at night, making it look very cool. The front of the building is mostly made of glass. It has long slats that show the Millennium Point logo behind them.
The Millennium Point Trust's Work
The money made from events and activities at Millennium Point goes back into the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. This allows the charity to support many projects related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) in the West Midlands.
The Trust has done a lot of good work. For example, in 2021, they announced that they had provided £30 million in STEM support over the previous seven years. This money helps schools, groups, and young people get involved in science and technology.
Past Attractions and Events
Millennium Point has hosted many exciting things over the years.
The Giant Screen Cinema
One of the biggest attractions was the Giant Screen Cinema. It was so large that it stretched into the building's main hall, called the atrium. For ten years, it was an IMAX cinema. After that, it became an independent movie theatre. They made big upgrades, like installing a new, huge screen that was put in through the roof! They also added new projectors and a powerful sound system. However, the cinema closed in early 2015.
Christmas Lights and Festivals
Millennium Point used to be the place for Birmingham's annual "Christmas Lights Switch On" event. This was a big party with fairground rides and live music. Famous singers like Alesha Dixon and Lemar performed there.
The building has also hosted many festivals. In 2008, it was home to the Hello Digital arts festival. This event focused on interactive art and music.
Other Notable Events
- In 2006, the front car park was turned into a viewing area for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. People could watch the games on a huge digital screen.
- Millennium Point has hosted food fairs, celebrating local food and drink.
- It has welcomed important exhibitions, like the "Anne Frank + You" exhibit in 2015.
- It's now a hub for film festivals, including the Birmingham Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival.
- The building has also been used for important discussions about local industries and projects, like the High Speed 2 rail line.
- In 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Millennium Point for an event celebrating International Women's Day.
- In 2020, the Duchess of Cambridge visited Thinktank at Millennium Point. She talked to children and parents about her project on raising the next generation.
- In 2022, Millennium Point hosted Luke Jerram's Gaia. This was an amazing art installation of Earth, made using real NASA images.
Future Developments Around Millennium Point
Millennium Point is in an area that is growing and changing a lot. It's right next to the new Eastside Locks development. It's also very close to where the future High Speed 2 rail station will be built. This new train station will connect Birmingham to other major cities.
The old car park in front of Millennium Point has been turned into a beautiful green space called Eastside City Park. To make sure visitors still have a place to park, a new multi-storey car park was built behind the building. This makes it easy for people visiting Millennium Point, Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, and Birmingham City University to get there.
