Regal Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Regal Tower |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Status | Never built |
| Location | Broad Street, Birmingham, England |
| Coordinates | 52°28′34″N 1°54′50″W / 52.476°N 1.914°W |
| Construction started | Never |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 200.5 metres (658 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 56 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Aedas |
| Developer | Regal Property Group |
The Regal Tower was a very tall building, called a skyscraper, that was planned for Birmingham, England. It was meant to be built on a piece of land near Broad Street in the Ladywood area, just outside the city centre.
This proposed building was designed to be 56 storeys high, reaching about 200.5 metres (658 feet) into the sky. It was going to have shops, a fancy hotel, and apartments for people to live in. There were plans for 256 special apartments that could also be used as extra hotel rooms if needed. The company Aedas designed the tower, and Regal Property Group was the company that wanted to build it.
If the Regal Tower had been built as planned, it would have been the second tallest building in the UK outside of London.
Contents
History of the Idea
First Plans
The place where Regal Tower was meant to stand used to be home to a synagogue, which is a Jewish place of worship. Before the idea of Regal Tower, Regal Property Group had already planned a smaller building for this spot. This earlier plan was for a 10-storey building with 130 apartments and a restaurant. This plan was approved in March 2007.
Announcing the Tower
Regal Property Group first shared their big plans for the Regal Tower in October 2007. At that time, they didn't give many details. They thought it would cost around 150 million British Pounds. People believed it would be taller than the V Building, which was the tallest approved tower in Birmingham at the time.
The developers said the tower would have large rooms for meetings and events, big enough for about 1,000 people. These would work well with the nearby International Convention Centre. They hoped the tower would be finished by 2011, just in time for Birmingham to host visitors for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In August 2008, Regal Property Group announced they had a new team just for hotel projects. This team would work on sites like the Regal Tower and also with big hotel chains like Hilton Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group.
Showing the Designs
More details about the tower came out in March 2009. The first designs by Aedas were officially shown at a big property event called MIPIM in Cannes, France. The plans were also shown to the leaders of Birmingham City Council. The estimated cost for the tower was changed to 125 million British Pounds. The developers hoped to start building in 2010 and finish by 2013. They also expected to send their full building plans to the council in May 2009.
Sending in the Plans
May 2009 passed, and the building plans were not sent in. In June 2009, the developers asked the council if they needed to do a special study called an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This study checks how a big building project might affect the environment. In August 2009, the council said an EIA was not needed for the Regal Tower.
On September 1, 2009, the first part of the full building application was finally sent to Birmingham City Council. The application described a 56-storey building with shops on the ground floor, a 289-room hotel, and either 256 special apartments or more hotel rooms. It also mentioned 1,530 square metres of apartments and underground car parking.
The developers also agreed to pay 250,000 British Pounds to help improve public transport in the area. This is a common agreement for large building projects.
A public meeting was held on October 14, 2009, for people to share their thoughts on the proposed tower. After this meeting, news reports mentioned the building's height as 200.5 metres, which hadn't been clearly stated in the first part of the application.
Many groups were asked for their opinions on the tower. One important group was the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). On November 23, 2009, CABE said they did not like the plan. They worried the tower would be too big and overwhelming for the nearby Brindleyplace area. They also felt the design didn't think enough about how many people would be coming and going from the building.
Details of the Proposed Tower
The plans showed that the Regal Tower would have 56 floors above ground and one underground level for automated car parking, with space for 29 cars. The tower would reach a total height of 200.5 metres (658 feet), making it the tallest building in Birmingham city centre.
The building would have two main parts:
- A four-storey base, called a podium. This part would have about 577 square metres (6,211 square feet) of shops facing Broad Street. It would also have the hotel's main reception area and a large ballroom.
- A 51-storey tower rising above the podium. This part would contain a 289-bedroom, five-star quality hotel. It would also have 256 special apartments that could be used as extra hotel rooms if needed.
On the 30th floor, there would be a tall 'sky bar' with an outdoor terrace. This would offer amazing views of the city. At the very top of the tower, in the 'Crown' section, there would be about 1,530 square metres (16,469 square feet) of luxury penthouse apartments spread across three floors.
The outside of the tower was designed to be mostly glass, with special metal panels and fins. The very top, or 'crown,' would have a ring of spires.
A company called Hoare Lea designed a special lighting plan for the building. They chose blue and white lights, using energy-saving LED lights on the fins and along the edges. This lighting scheme was planned to cost about 146,000 British Pounds.
The Left Bank building, which is a Grade II listed building (meaning it's historically important), was going to be included in the project. It was planned to be fixed up and improved within two years of the hotel opening.
