The Mailbox
Encyclopedia
The Mailbox is an upmarket development of offices, designer shops, restaurants, bars and luxury city-centre apartments in the City Centre
and on the boundary of the City Centre Core
in Birmingham
, West Midlands
, England
. It includes a mini supermarket and three art galleries
: the Artlounge, Castle Galleries and the Three White Walls Gallery. It is also home to BBC Birmingham
.
The Mailbox is about 300 metres (984.3 ft) long from front to back including The Cube. Above the front shops it has an additional 6 floors. The Birmingham and Worcester Canal passes along the back.
Previously the location of canal wharves, the site was the location of the Royal Mail
's main sorting office
for Birmingham (hence its name), which was completed in 1970. It was designed by R. H. Ousman of the Ministry of Public Building and Works, who collaborated with project architect H. A. E. Giddings and with Hubbard Ford & Partners, who supplied E. Winters and R. Lee as architects. When completed, it was the largest mechanised letters and parcels sorting office in the country with a floor area of 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) and the largest building in Birmingham. A tunnel was constructed between the site and New Street station
for letters to be delivered directly to the office. The structure housed the largest electronic sorting equipment in the West Midlands
to handle the post.
The main entrance was located at Blucher Street beneath a tower set between a square block for parcels on the left and a lower block for the letters sorting office on the right. The structure consisted of a steel frame on a 40 feet (12.2 m) square grid with lightweight pre-cast concrete floor slabs and reinforced concrete retaining walls and sub floors. The exterior was clad with cast glass troughs and exposed aggregate panels. Ventilation was provided through air-handling units which provided the building with the temperature it required. Extract fans were also placed on the roof. The exterior consisted mainly of the glass slabs and projecting air handling units with recessed windows.
The Royal Mail sorting office was recognised by Chatham in 1997. Chatham had been an important figure in the regeneration of Birmingham, working with Argent
to develop Brindleyplace
. He found out that the sorting office was to be sold and tried to convince Argent about the potential the building offered if it were to be converted into a mixed-use building. Argent was unconvinced and so Chatham decided to establish his own development company, Birmingham Development Company, and purchased the building in 1998 for £3 million. He also paid a further £1 million for the surrounding waterfront buildings. Soon after purchasing the building, he sold the air-rights to Crosby Homes
, providing him with further money for redeveloping the building.
The building was converted by the Birmingham Development Company to include two hotels with a total of 300 rooms, 15,850 sq. m (170,000 sg. ft.) of office space, 9,290 sq. m (100,000 sq ft.) of retail space and a similar area for restaurants and a health club. Crosby Homes constructed apartments above the space. The redevelopment of the sorting office involved demolition of all but the steel
sub-structure. It cost £150 million overall and opened in December 2000. Following the purchase of two retail units by Harvey Nichols
, the development was valued to be in excess of £125 million.
A public square the size of Chamberlain Square
was created to the front of the Mailbox beneath Suffolk Street Queensway. It was paved with natural stone and as well as being a social area, it was also designed to allow the easy movement of visitors to, from and around the building. The area to the rear of the building is used frequently by the public. At the back of The Mailbox it is possible to walk over a bridge and walk along the canal
s near Gas Street Basin
. The complex is currently erecting a new state-of-the-art mixed-use building called The Cube
, designed by Birmingham born architect Ken Shuttleworth's practice MAKE Architects
with Buro Happold
engineers. This accompanying structure is to be the final phase in the completion of the Mailbox. The Cube will house a rooftop restaurant, boutique hotel and residential apartments.
In 2004, BBC Birmingham
moved into a new complex of studios at the Mailbox that replaced the previous Pebble Mill site in Edgbaston
. The general public is able to watch radio
and television
broadcasts being made at an all-access public foyer, as well as surf the BBC website and buy BBC
merchandise. On 31 October 2005, 81 year-old actress Mary Wimbush
died at The Mailbox studios shortly after a recording session for The Archers
. On 16 February 2008, a shooting incident took place at Cafe Lazeez at the Mailbox.
Network Rail
also have offices within The Mailbox, with their predecessor Railtrack
being one of the earliest occupants in February 2001 after moving out of Stanier House.
In April 2011 the Mailbox was sold for £127.1 million to a joint venture between Brockton Capital and Milligan.
Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham city centre is the business, retail and leisure hub of Birmingham, England. Following the removal of the Inner Ring Road, the city centre is newly defined as being the area within the Middle Ring Road. Birmingham city centre is undergoing massive redevelopment with the Big City Plan...
and on the boundary of the City Centre Core
City Centre Core
The City Centre Core in Birmingham, England, is the historic heart of the city roughly comprising the area within the former Birmingham Inner Ring Road....
in Birmingham
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...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
. It includes a mini supermarket and three art galleries
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
: the Artlounge, Castle Galleries and the Three White Walls Gallery. It is also home to BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham is one of the oldest regional arms of the BBC, located in Birmingham, West Midlands. It was the first region outside of London to start broadcasting both the corporation's radio and television transmissions, the latter from the Sutton Coldfield television transmitter...
.
The Mailbox is about 300 metres (984.3 ft) long from front to back including The Cube. Above the front shops it has an additional 6 floors. The Birmingham and Worcester Canal passes along the back.
History
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
's main sorting office
Sorting office
Sorting office or Processing and Distribution Center is any location where postal operators bring mail after collection for sorting into batches for delivery to the addressee, which may be a direct delivery or sent onwards to another regional or local sorting office, or to another postal...
for Birmingham (hence its name), which was completed in 1970. It was designed by R. H. Ousman of the Ministry of Public Building and Works, who collaborated with project architect H. A. E. Giddings and with Hubbard Ford & Partners, who supplied E. Winters and R. Lee as architects. When completed, it was the largest mechanised letters and parcels sorting office in the country with a floor area of 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) and the largest building in Birmingham. A tunnel was constructed between the site and New Street station
Birmingham New Street Station
Birmingham New Street is the main railway station serving Birmingham, England, located in the city centre. It is an important hub for the British railway system, being served by a number of important long-distance and cross-country lines, including the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line,...
for letters to be delivered directly to the office. The structure housed the largest electronic sorting equipment in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
to handle the post.
The main entrance was located at Blucher Street beneath a tower set between a square block for parcels on the left and a lower block for the letters sorting office on the right. The structure consisted of a steel frame on a 40 feet (12.2 m) square grid with lightweight pre-cast concrete floor slabs and reinforced concrete retaining walls and sub floors. The exterior was clad with cast glass troughs and exposed aggregate panels. Ventilation was provided through air-handling units which provided the building with the temperature it required. Extract fans were also placed on the roof. The exterior consisted mainly of the glass slabs and projecting air handling units with recessed windows.
Redevelopment
Argent Group PLC
Argent Group plc is a leading UK-based property developer founded in 1981. The company was formed as an investment for the pension fund of British Telecom, and was responsible for the redevelopment of Brindleyplace in Birmingham and developments around Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester.Current...
to develop 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...
. He found out that the sorting office was to be sold and tried to convince Argent about the potential the building offered if it were to be converted into a mixed-use building. Argent was unconvinced and so Chatham decided to establish his own development company, Birmingham Development Company, and purchased the building in 1998 for £3 million. He also paid a further £1 million for the surrounding waterfront buildings. Soon after purchasing the building, he sold the air-rights to Crosby Homes
Crosby Homes
Lend Lease Residential Development is the British residential development division of the Australia-based global property developer Lend Lease.-History:...
, providing him with further money for redeveloping the building.
The building was converted by the Birmingham Development Company to include two hotels with a total of 300 rooms, 15,850 sq. m (170,000 sg. ft.) of office space, 9,290 sq. m (100,000 sq ft.) of retail space and a similar area for restaurants and a health club. Crosby Homes constructed apartments above the space. The redevelopment of the sorting office involved demolition of all but the steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
sub-structure. It cost £150 million overall and opened in December 2000. Following the purchase of two retail units by Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
, the development was valued to be in excess of £125 million.
A public square the size of Chamberlain Square
Chamberlain Square
Chamberlain Square or Chamberlain Place is a public square in central Birmingham, England , named after Joseph Chamberlain.Its features include:*Birmingham Central Library*Paradise Forum...
was created to the front of the Mailbox beneath Suffolk Street Queensway. It was paved with natural stone and as well as being a social area, it was also designed to allow the easy movement of visitors to, from and around the building. The area to the rear of the building is used frequently by the public. At the back of The Mailbox it is possible to walk over a bridge and walk along 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 near Gas Street Basin
Gas Street Basin
Gas Street Basin is a canal basin in the centre of Birmingham, England, where the Worcester and Birmingham Canal meets the BCN Main Line. It is located on Gas Street, off Broad Street, and between the Mailbox and Brindleyplace canal-side developments....
. The complex is currently erecting a new state-of-the-art mixed-use building called The Cube
The Cube (building)
The Cube is a 23 storey mixed-use development in the centre of Birmingham, England. Designed by Ken Shuttleworth of MAKE Architects, it contains 135 flats, of offices, shops, a hotel and a 'skyline' restaurant...
, designed by Birmingham born architect Ken Shuttleworth's practice MAKE Architects
MAKE Architects
Make Architects is an architectural practice based in the United Kingdom founded by Ken Shuttleworth after he left Foster and Partners in 2003. They have offices in London, Birmingham, Beijing, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and the practice is currently engaged in projects worldwide ranging from high rise...
with Buro Happold
Buro Happold
Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment, with its head office in Bath, Somerset...
engineers. This accompanying structure is to be the final phase in the completion of the Mailbox. The Cube will house a rooftop restaurant, boutique hotel and residential apartments.
In 2004, BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham is one of the oldest regional arms of the BBC, located in Birmingham, West Midlands. It was the first region outside of London to start broadcasting both the corporation's radio and television transmissions, the latter from the Sutton Coldfield television transmitter...
moved into a new complex of studios at the Mailbox that replaced the previous Pebble Mill site in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
. The general public is able to watch radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
broadcasts being made at an all-access public foyer, as well as surf the BBC website and buy BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
merchandise. On 31 October 2005, 81 year-old actress Mary Wimbush
Mary Wimbush
Mary Wimbush was an English actress, whose career spanned sixty years from the 1940s to the 2000s...
died at The Mailbox studios shortly after a recording session for The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
. On 16 February 2008, a shooting incident took place at Cafe Lazeez at the Mailbox.
Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
also have offices within The Mailbox, with their predecessor Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
being one of the earliest occupants in February 2001 after moving out of Stanier House.
In April 2011 the Mailbox was sold for £127.1 million to a joint venture between Brockton Capital and Milligan.