International Convention Centre, Birmingham
Encyclopedia
The International Convention Centre (abbreviated to ICC) is a major conference venue in central Birmingham
, England
. The centre includes Symphony Hall
and it faces Centenary Square. The building has another entrance leading to the canal
s of Birmingham. The Convention Quarter
area, which includes Brindleyplace
, is located directly opposite the building on the other side of the canal. It is part of the NEC
group.
The building was designed by Percy Thomas Partnership
and Renton Howard Wood Levin. The foundation stone was laid by Jacques Delors
as a start of another 4 years and 5 months of construction. In all, over 1,500 workers helped construct the building. Over 60,000 cubic metres of concrete
were used. The site was opened on June 12, 1991 by Queen Elizabeth II
. Funds of £49.7 million were provided by the European Council
. The total cost of construction was £200 million.
It is on the site of the Prince of Wales Theatre and Bingley Hall
, the world's first purpose-built exhibition hall, opened in 1850. Also on the site were numerous houses fronting King Edwards Place as well as a brewery and inn. On the eastern side of this was King Alfreds Place which was also fronted by houses and a hotel. A listed Victorian
cast iron
urinal was removed before construction began, on condition that it be re-erected. Although it was taken to Tyseley Locomotive Works, it has never been restored.
The building was the focal point for the G8 summit
meeting of world leaders in 1998.
On a specified date in August, the building is used by companies, organisations and/ or individuals as part of "Discovery Day" which features events co-ordinated all over the city. In 2004, an area was used as an indoor country fair
. The fair featured a Ferris wheel
and small rides. In Spring 2008, the hall hosted its first party political conference, for the Labour Party
.
The façade of the building is covered in blue tinted window
s and white stone cladding. The entrance is adorned by a neon
sculpture
, by Ron Hasledon, named "Birdlife" which hangs above it. The entrance is used as a small performance area and small protests are sometimes held there. The south side of the building features a link bridge
to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. When the pre-fabricated connecting bridge was delivered, it was found to be too short, as the plans for the hotel had been modified, moving it away from the ICC slightly, but the bridge makers had not been informed.
Inside the building, numerous connecting bridges and walkways line the atrium
overhead connecting the eleven halls. The ICC has a total capacity of 8,000 delegates. The largest hall, "Hall Three" can hold up to 3,000 delegates when fully utilising its 3,000m2 space.
Inside there is a branch of the Halcyon Gallery
which sells original paintings and prints. There is a souvenir shop as well as the Box Office for tickets for both Symphony Hall and other local theatres.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The centre includes Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Symphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, England. It was officially opened by the Queen in June 1991, although had been opened on April 15, 1991. It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hosts around 270 events...
and it faces Centenary Square. The building has another entrance leading to the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s of Birmingham. The Convention Quarter
Birmingham Convention Quarter
The Westside is a new name for an area of the city centre of Birmingham, England, which includes many new and planned buildings such as The Cube, Library of Birmingham, the V Building and Regal Tower....
area, which includes Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use canalside development, in the Westside district of Birmingham, England. It is often written erroneously as Brindley Place, the name of the street around which it is built...
, is located directly opposite the building on the other side of the canal. It is part of the NEC
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
group.
The building was designed by Percy Thomas Partnership
Percy Thomas Partnership
Percy Thomas Partnership was a trading name of the award-winning British architectural practice originally set up by Percy Thomas in Cardiff, Wales in 1911/12. Percy Thomas and his practice put their name to a number of landmark buildings in the United Kingdom including the Wales Millennium...
and Renton Howard Wood Levin. The foundation stone was laid by Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the eighth President of the European Commission and the first person to serve three terms in that office .-French Politics:...
as a start of another 4 years and 5 months of construction. In all, over 1,500 workers helped construct the building. Over 60,000 cubic metres of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
were used. The site was opened on June 12, 1991 by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Funds of £49.7 million were provided by the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
. The total cost of construction was £200 million.
It is on the site of the Prince of Wales Theatre and Bingley Hall
Bingley Hall
Bingley Hall in Birmingham was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain. It was built in 1850 and burned down in 1984. The International Convention Centre now stands on the site....
, the world's first purpose-built exhibition hall, opened in 1850. Also on the site were numerous houses fronting King Edwards Place as well as a brewery and inn. On the eastern side of this was King Alfreds Place which was also fronted by houses and a hotel. A listed Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
urinal was removed before construction began, on condition that it be re-erected. Although it was taken to Tyseley Locomotive Works, it has never been restored.
The building was the focal point for the G8 summit
24th G8 summit
The 24th G8 Summit was held at Birmingham, England, United Kingdom between May 15 to 17 1998. The venue for this summit meeting was the Birmingham International Convention Centre....
meeting of world leaders in 1998.
On a specified date in August, the building is used by companies, organisations and/ or individuals as part of "Discovery Day" which features events co-ordinated all over the city. In 2004, an area was used as an indoor country fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
. The fair featured a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
and small rides. In Spring 2008, the hall hosted its first party political conference, for the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
The façade of the building is covered in blue tinted window
Window
A window is a transparent or translucent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which...
s and white stone cladding. The entrance is adorned by a neon
Neon sign
Neon signs are made using electrified, luminous tube lights that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in December, 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show. While they are used worldwide, neon signs...
sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, by Ron Hasledon, named "Birdlife" which hangs above it. The entrance is used as a small performance area and small protests are sometimes held there. The south side of the building features a link bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. When the pre-fabricated connecting bridge was delivered, it was found to be too short, as the plans for the hotel had been modified, moving it away from the ICC slightly, but the bridge makers had not been informed.
Inside the building, numerous connecting bridges and walkways line the atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
overhead connecting the eleven halls. The ICC has a total capacity of 8,000 delegates. The largest hall, "Hall Three" can hold up to 3,000 delegates when fully utilising its 3,000m2 space.
Inside there is a branch of the Halcyon Gallery
Halcyon Gallery
Halcyon Gallery has two art galleries in the United Kingdom. They are situated on New Bond Street and Bruton Street in Mayfair. In February 2008, Halcyon Gallery opened a five-storey contemporary gallery at 24 Bruton Street with a new exhibition by sculptor Lorenzo Quinn.In the summer of 2008,...
which sells original paintings and prints. There is a souvenir shop as well as the Box Office for tickets for both Symphony Hall and other local theatres.
External links
- The ICC Website
- 1890 map of location of ICC (Bingley Hall is on the far right of image)