Selfridges Building, Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Selfridges Building |
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View from Park St car park
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| General information | |
| Type | Department Store |
| Architectural style | Blobitecture |
| Location | Park Street, Birmingham, England |
| Coordinates | 52°28′40.02″N 1°53′32.13″W / 52.4777833°N 1.8922583°W |
| Construction started | 1999 |
| Completed | September 2003 |
| Cost | £60 million |
| Owner | Selfridges & Co. |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel framework with sprayed concrete facade |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Floor area | 14,864m² (160,000sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Jan Kaplický, Amanda Levete |
| Architecture firm | Future Systems |
| Structural engineer | Ove Arup & Partners |
| Services engineer | Ove Arup & Partners |
| Main contractor | Laing O'Rourke |
The Selfridges Building is a super cool and famous building in Birmingham, England. It's part of the huge Bullring Shopping Centre and is home to the amazing Selfridges Department Store. This unique building was finished in 2003 and cost about £60 million to build!
It was designed by a special architecture company called Future Systems. The building has a strong steel framework covered with a unique sprayed concrete outer layer. Since it was built, the Selfridges Building has become a well-known landmark. It really helped make Birmingham a more modern and exciting city.
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What Makes the Selfridges Building Special?
The architecture company Future Systems was chosen by Selfridges to design this store. It was only the third Selfridges store built outside of London. Even though the building is connected to the Bullring Shopping Centre, Selfridges wanted it to look very different. They wanted a design that would stand out and be easy to spot, like a special sign for their brand.
The Building's Unique Look
The outside of the Selfridges Building is very curvy. It wraps around the corner where Moor Street and Park Street meet. The most eye-catching part of the building is its skin! It's covered with 15,000 shiny anodised aluminium discs. These discs are placed on a bright blue background, making the building look like it's covered in thousands of sparkling sequins. This design makes it one of the most recognizable buildings in the UK.
Awards and Recognition
The Selfridges Building has won many important awards for its amazing design and construction. These awards show how special and well-built it is.
- RIBA Award for Architecture 2004
- Concrete Society Awards, Overall Winner 2004
- British Constructional Steelwork Association's Structural Steel Awards 2004
- Royal Fine Art Commission Trust, Retail Innovation 2004
- Institution of Civil Engineers, Project Award Winner 2004
- Civic Trust Award 2004
- Retail Week Awards, Retail Destination of the Year 2004
Images for kids
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Detail of aluminium disc cladding
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View from the Bull Ring
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Road level view of building
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Interior escalators
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Side view of the building
