The Mailbox has established itself as a vibrant mixeduse development integral to Birmingham’s city centre life. The Cube is the final phase of this scheme, and will reinforce The Mailbox’s position as a key urban destination. The Cube is firmly knitted into its context, and actively draws people through the site to become a new hub for pedestrians. The new building establishes a strong visual presence and is immediately identifiable as a gateway to the canal and city centre.
Architectural Design Report Rev 02: January 2007 2 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Cover image: GMJ 124-126 Wharfside Street The Mailbox Birmingham B1 1RQ tel +44 (0) 121 632 1111 fax +44 (0) 121 632 1455 www.makearchitects.com 4 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Key project data Glossary diagram Washington Wharf canal foot bridge The Mailbox Salvage Wharf bars and restaurants building piazza level Building B Base ‘278’ works Enhanced ‘278’ works Washington Court Holliday Wharf towpath level The Postbox The Cube Wharfside Street Commercial Street Design team Client: Birmingham Development Company Ltd (BDC) Architect: Make Cost consultant: Faithful + Gould Employer’s agent: Faithful + Gould Civil/structural engineer: Buro Happold Services engineer: Hoare Lea Acoustics: Hoare Lea Fire consultant: Faber Maunsell Fire Note: illustrations in this report are indicative only and the latest design drawings should be referred to for the current layouts and details. Design fundamentals Site area: 4,100 m 2 Cube dimension: 53.1m Overall building height: approximately 66m above Commercial Street level Structure: part concrete frame and part steel frame Cladding: anodised aluminium panels with opaque and translucent glazed panels. Plant building brick clad. King and Queens Court Brough Passage Link to The Mailbox Contents Key project data Glossary diagram 01 Introduction Project ambition Design concept 02 Site and context Site location Character of surrounding area Building on the success of The Mailbox Surrounding buildings 03 Building form Strategic design moves Mix of uses Entrances and routes Automated parking system Retail, cafe-bar levels Office levels Residential levels Hotel levels Sky bar and restaurant Roof Building B 04 Building envelope Description of external wall systems 05 Internal planning Definition of shell and core areas Office fit out Apartment fit out Entrances and lobbies 06 Logistics Loading bay and service strategy Waste management and recycling Cleaning, maintenance and glass replacement Designing out bird nuisance Sustainability Wind condition studies Access for all 07 Works beyond the site boundary ‘278’ works Refurbishment of footbridge Covered link to The Mailbox 08 Illustrations 01 Introduction Photo by Zander Olsen 10 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Project ambition The Mailbox has established itself as a vibrant mixed-use development integral to Birmingham’s city centre life. The Cube is the final phase of this scheme, and will reinforce The Mailbox’s position as a key urban destination. The Cube is firmly knitted into its context, and actively draws people through the site to become a new hub for pedestrians. The new building establishes a strong visual presence and is immediately identifiable as a gateway to the canal and city centre. The lower levels are dedicated to retail with cafe-bars and restaurants animating the canalside. Offices, residential apartments and a hotel occupy the levels above and a skyline restaurant is located at the top offering panoramic views over the canal and city. The Cube’s façade is as visually exciting as its form. A modular system creates an anodised aluminium clad exterior fretwork screen while the interior spaces are lined with glass. Together, the intricate exterior tessellations and the courtyard’s glowing reflections evoke Birmingham’s strong manufacturing and engineering tradition, as well as its jewellery and watchmaking heritage. With its cutting edge design, rich mix of uses and creation of a convergence point, the new building is pivotal to Birmingham’s continued revitalisation. The Cube’s powerful geometric form and shimmering texture will complement The Mailbox building and introduce a distinctive new presence to the city skyline. 12 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Design concept An iconic form A unique landmark on Birmingham’s skyline a ‘full stop’ to The Mailbox and a new front door to the city centre At ground level, the ‘cube’ hovers over a glass plinth. One glazed retail storey at Commercial Street opens through to two floors of cafe- bars looking out over the canalside, exploiting the natural fall of the site. A diagonal pedestrian route cuts through the retail levels, linking the street to the towpath, the footbridge, and The Mailbox piazza. The four-storeys of shops, bars and cafes, and the entrances to the offices, apartments and hotel are all accessed from the central open courtyard. Twisting up over seventeen floors, the prismatic geometry and reflections of the courtyard will create a dynamic shared space, linking all the uses in the building. At the residential floors, the courtyard opens up on the canal-side, forming large terraces. An open fretwork screen completes the geometry of the ‘cube’ while allowing light, air and view to the apartments. In contrast to the jewel-like interior, the solid metallic exterior of the cube creates a strong landmark form in the cityscape. The two-storey glazed rooftop structure - housing hotel rooms, restaurant and bar - is a continuation of the twisting courtyard facades, acting as a dramatic beacon on the night skyline. 02 Site and context 16 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Site location The site lies to the south-west of the city centre, between Commercial Street and the canal, between The Mailbox and Washington Wharf. The site is 10 minutes walk from New Street station, through The Mailbox. It lies adjacent to the canal with a footbridge link to the towpath on the other side, leading north to the Gas Street basin, Brindleyplace and the ICC. The new registry office development lies across the footbridge behind the Holliday Wharf development. Commercial Street is a relatively calm street. A large six-storey residential development has recently been completed on the south side of the street. Neighbouring Washington Wharf is a relatively new residential courtyard scheme. The St Thomas’ Church Peace Gardens lie a minute’s walk to the south, towards Bath Row and the Attwood Green area beyond. Commercial Street slopes down towards the city centre and Brough Passage, to the east of the site, slopes down further to the canalside. The maximum change in level across the site is approximately 4.5m. slopes up +0m -4.5m -1.5m slopes up -4.5m -3.5m indicative site levels Brough Passage The Mailbox Peace Gardens Attwood Green Bath Row Holloway Head illustration from BCC ‘Bath Row and Holloway Head Development Framework’, August 2004 site footbridge piazza level towpath level 18 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Building on the success of The Mailbox a strong destination with a clear identity within one mixed use building part of a successful rejuvenated canal environment Character of surrounding area canal as a leisure destination changing character of Commercial Street, Bath Row and Attwood Green higher density development in the expanding city centre a site with a national profile from the BBC studios [...]... south and eastern external facades 62 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 Apartment fit out make Scope of apartment fit out This table is indicative only: see current Design Drawings and specification for latest information 10 January 2006 The Cube, Birmingham - Apartment Fit-out Scope For typical apartment layouts: Pad The apartment design seeks a high degree of openness... and makes a visual link with the faceted retail glazing at the base A full stop to The Mailbox and a new front door to the city centre This two-storey steel rooftop structure houses a sky bar and restaurant at the upper level, providing panoramic views of the city and acting as a beacon on the skyline The terracing form on the canal-side 26 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007. .. Cat B fit-out The drainage design allows for this possible future increase Height The floor-to-floor height of 3.75m provides a floor-to-ceiling height of 2.7m, with an overall raised floor build-up of 150mm and overall ceiling build-up of 620mm Loading Floor loading is 4kN/sq.m incl partitions Plant Tenant 2 Plant 36 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 levels 23 to 15 Residential... fabricated with non-visible welds and discreet opening joints to accommodate specified live deflection; ventilate the panels to prevent corrosion due to water ingress and condensation; and pressure equalise the panels 54 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 EWS-7 Top of building façade The top of building façade comprises double glazed units fixed to PPC aluminium vertical and... at street level looking back towards The Mailbox small staircase windows, final exit and dry riser inlet facing onto the site 03 Building form 24 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 View of the screen from the courtyard Strategic design moves 1 Connectivity The Cube is firmly knitted into its site and actively draws people through the site, to become a new hub for pedestrians... aisle Double bank of cars - always one empty space to move front car into Shuttle running in aisle Lifts with garage above aisle 1 aisle 2 Example of pallet-less system 32 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 Retail, cafe-bar levels The four levels of A1/A3 use extend from one level below towpath (5) to one level above street level (8) The central courtyard extends throughout,... accessible for ambulant disabled Male: 2no cubicles, 3no urinals 1no unisex disabled WC 1no Family room/baby change Floor loading Floor loading for retail units is 5kN/sq.m 34 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 levels 14 12 11 10 9 Office levels The five levels of office accommodation (9, 10, 11, 12, 14) surround the central courtyard The ‘twist’ of the courtyard is created by...20 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 Kings and Queens Court Three storey residential buildings built in the 1980s This portion of the canal side is private, with a communal garden for the residents Surrounding... (15) and the upper office floor (14) will be used to transfer the soil stacks back to the main cores The terracing form behind the fretwork screen arrows show escape routes 38 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 levels 24 23 (part) Indicative layout: construction of shell and core only Hotel levels The hotel lifts are accessed through a lobby at street level 7 while the main hotel... Level 24: 3.6m floor to floor, 2.6m clear (120mm floor zone, nom 500mm ceiling) Loading Floor loading is 5kN/sq.m incl partitions, bathrooms and plant Shell and core space 40 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev 02 January 2007 level 25 Indicative layout: construction of shell and core only Sky bar and restaurant The sky bar and restaurant occupy the top level, giving panoramic views over the . Architectural Design Report Rev 02: January 2007 2 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Cover image: GMJ 124-126 Wharfside. introduce a distinctive new presence to the city skyline. 12 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Design concept An iconic form A unique landmark on Birmingham’s skyline a. facades, acting as a dramatic beacon on the night skyline. 02 Site and context 16 make The Cube Architectural Design Report Rev. 02 January 2007 Site location The site lies to the south-west