Perspectives Spring - Summer Final.qxd 27/7/09 3:16 pm Page 1 BIRMINGHAM PerspectiveSPRING - SUMMER 2009 s JOURNAL OF BIRMINGHAM CIVIC SOCIETY “Wealth creation is only achieved through business” Architect quizzed on proposed library designs Perspectives Spring - Summer Final.qxd 27/7/09 3:16 pm Page 2 “The most ambitious and far reaching citywide development project ever undertaken in the UK” Cllr Mike Whitby Leader, Birmingham City Council Birmingham is a great international city, renowned for civic innovation, urban invention, racial and cultural diversity, as well as its creative and educational achievements. The city has made tremendous progress over the last twenty years, regularly being hailed as one of Europe’s success stories, with over £10 billion of planned investment in the city centre alone. However, the city has changed dramatically over the last twenty years, especially with the changes to the inner ring road, making the city centre much larger. Both physically and economically new challenges and new opportunities are now on the agenda, and a new masterplan is needed that will help to unleash the tremendous potential of creativity and diversity of what is the youngest city in Europe. Covering the greater city centre, the full 800 hectares out to the ring road, the Big City Plan will shape and revitalise Birmingham’s city centre over the next twenty years - physically, economically, culturally, creatively - and there will be extensive engagement with colleagues, partners, stakeholders and our citizens to help achieve this. For more information please visit www.bigcityplan.org.uk Perspectives Spring - Summer Final.qxd 27/7/09 3:16 pm Page 3 Birmingham Perspectives Spring - Summer 2009 Contents Does the city have the know-how to Front cover: Concept design for the new Library see recovery? I was fortunate to attend the Birmingham 10 Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham champions the city's skills. Young Professional of the Year Awards (BYPY) held at the ICC. As award Older - but wiser? ceremonies go, it was certainly glitzy - Lydia Thornton asks how Birmingham, despite being the youngest city in with a set worthy of the Oscars and food 13 Europe, will support an aging population. nearly worthy of a Michelin restaurant. But it was not the environment that How did the canals fuel city’s industrial might? impressed me: it was the enthusiasm of Isabel Monk finds out how Birmingham's canals played a the shortlisted entrants (mostly 20 to 30 vital role in making Brum great. somethings) and the attentiveness of the 14 600-plus audience, most of whom were a Perspectives on the proposed Library of Birmingham similar age (excepting the likes of me). Birmingham Civic Society's Planning Committee hold Francine Houben to It gave me great hope. Not one of the account for the proposed designs for the new Library of Birmingham. shortlisted entrants failed to demonstrate 16 their huge commitment to Birmingham. Head to Head - how can citizenship play a Each of them seemed to be involved in vital part in creating a cohesive society? one or another important aspect of the Can citizenship bring Birmingham together as we move city's life. And all of them demonstrated that it is not just what happens in the 20 towards being a plural city by 2020? work place that matters but what you do Society sculptor prepares for 'Shaping Nature' exhibition in the outside world too. Viv Astling reveals a startling career change from local authority Not that “young professionals” have 23 chief executive to sculptor. exclusivity. My colleagues on Birmingham Civic Society's citizenship Birmingham's ambitious 'gallery without walls' committee were telling me how Lydia Thornton goes behind the scenes at the Ikon Gallery to impressed they had been with recent find out how they have grand plans beyond Brindleyplace. presentations by Birmingham school 24 children as they talked enthusiastically of their plans for the city. FIRST WORD 5 MEMBERSHIP 27 It's a theme reflected in this issue in the NEWS 6 EVENTS 28 comments of Digby, Lord Jones of LETTERS 26 LAST WORD 31 Birmingham - and those of the public on FUTURE VOICE 30 the role of citizenship. The thing is though, that whilst the Birmingham Civic Society is concerned with the city's future whilst articulate winners of BYPY have a being mindful of its past. It actively promotes citizenship, lobbies for public voice, too many of our younger the highest standards of planning and architecture and champions people don't have such an outlet. Birmingham's heritage, culture and environment. Isn't it time young people were both seen and heard? For Birmingham Perspectives: Editorial and advertising enquiries - t: 0121 702 2525 David Clarke, Editor Editor: David Clarke Vice-Chairman of Birmingham Civic Society Assistant Editor: Lydia Thornton Design: Clare Godson Illustrations: Jonny Cazzola Birmingham Perspectives Print: Ortek Colour Printers Birmingham Civic Society, 9 Margaret Street, For Birmingham Civic Society: Birmingham B3 3BS Administration - Elaine Mitchell t: 0121 236 8110 e: [email protected] 0121 236 8110 Chairman - Freddie Gick t: 0121 236 8110 e: [email protected] www.birminghamcivicsociety.org.uk 3 Perspectives Spring - Summer Final.qxd 27/7/09 3:16 pm Page 4 Perspectives Spring - Summer Final.qxd 27/7/09 3:16 pm Page 5 First word Freddie Gick, Chairman of The Birmingham Civic Society Architectural bravery From the very earliest times people have sought to create urban environments that not only provide high quality living conditions for their residents but also bring credit to those who control them. The leaders of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans created monuments, buildings and cities to demonstrate their power and imagination and, often, their devotion to their respective deities. In Pompeii, for example, the opportunity presented by an an increasingly common feature of the city and which show earthquake in 62 A.D. allowed the city's rulers to create a great promise to be the slums of the next few decades. modern, well planned city full of high quality amenities and The city's planners have been brave in accepting imaginative impressive buildings. designs for some new developments, though occasionally In Britain, our cities evolved through the last thousand years allowing buildings to be completed to more mediocre standards from collections of dwellings surrounding great houses and than originally proposed. The Madin Library and the exterior castles. The Wren buildings of the seventeenth century were of the ICC are examples of cost cutting having an adverse followed by the Georgian/Regency terraces and impact on important city-centre buildings. In crescents a hundred years later and then by attempting to attract inward investment, the elaborate civic buildings of the Birmingham must be internationally Victorian era. The more eclectic visible - and this requires its architectural trends of the buildings to be distinctive, twentieth century, photogenic and immediately complemented by the recognisable. Opinions ravages of enemy will always be divided on bombers, resulted in buildings like the many of our cities Rotunda and the becoming random Selfridges Building - amalgams of but they do make very different, Birmingham unsympathetic globally noticeable. styles. So, when it comes Birmingham has a to the design of the relatively short Library of history as a city and Birmingham, the has few examples of Cube or the the earlier periods. redevelopment of Most of its important Paradise Circus we buildings date from the should welcome nineteenth century. innovation, controversial Architecturally, the city is designs and unorthodox undistinguished on an building methods - but we international scale - however must not compromise on the much we may value our excellent quality of completed structures. Town Hall, it does not feature on any Some people will object to the list of the most interesting buildings imposition of imaginative buildings on our worldwide. Brindleyplace is much admired, but it is familiar but undistinguished cityscape - in the short not Covent Garden. term the impact will be patchy, but, if we hold our nerve, the What does this tell us about the development of Birmingham? result will be indicative of a highly progressive city that believes We do not have the opportunity to design a new city as did the in its future. planners of Pompeii or the creators of Milton Keynes - but we Combining architectural bravery with the City Council's do have an opportunity to put Birmingham on the global concern for the quality of life of our citizens will assure architectural map. Birmingham a creditable place among the great cities of the To do this we must first refuse permission for the construction world, following in the noble traditions of the earliest of any more mediocre apartment buildings that are becoming urban developers. 5 Perspectives Spring - Summer Final.qxd 27/7/09 3:16 pm Page 6 NEWS irmingham is to become the from the effects of the recession. irmingham's business Bfirst link in a unique chain of According to The Work Foundation Bcommunity came out in Cancer Research UK Centres to consultancy's report The Geography of force for the Great St Basils be launched round the country. Unemployment: How the recession charity walk to help the local The cancer centres will draw has affected different cities charity preventing youth together world class research and Birmingham has had the biggest homelessness. areas of medical expertise to achieve increase in people seeking Job Seekers' The annual walk, which took place the best possible results for cancer Allowance. There are 12,383 more on Saturday 30 May, saw teams from patients nationwide. As the first claimants in the city than last year, across the region trekking across the Cancer Research UK Centre, largely due to Birmingham being one stunning Brecon Beacon countryside.