Alpha Tower
{{Short description|Skyscraper in Birmingham, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Alpha Tower
| image = The Alpha Tower, Birmingham - DSC08757.JPG
| caption =
| building_type = Commercial
| architectural_style = Modernism
| structural_system =
| location = Birmingham, England
| address = Suffolk Street Queensway
| coordinates = {{coord|52|28|43|N|1|54|23|W |type:landmark_scale:1000_region:GB-BIR |display=inline,title}}
| start_date = 1969
| completion_date = {{Start date|1973}}
| demolition_date =
| height = {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}}
| floor_count = 28
| floor_area = {{Plainlist|
- {{convert|196,105|sqft|abbr=on}}
- {{convert|7,076|sqft|abbr=on}} (floor plate)}}
| owner = Anglo Scandinavian Estates Group
| current_tenants =
| main_contractor =
| architect = George Marsh
| architecture_firm = Richard Seifert & Partners
| structural_engineer =
| services_engineer =
| civil_engineer =
| other_designers =
| quantity_surveyor =
| awards = Grade II listed, Grade A locally listed
| designations =
| embedded = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = UK Grade II
| designation1_date = 31 July 2014
| designation1_number = 1420049
}}
| references = {{cite web | title = Alpha Tower | website = The Skyscraper Center | publisher = Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat | access-date = April 10, 2025 | url = https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/alpha-tower/5063 }}
}}
Alpha Tower is a Grade II listed office skyscraper in Birmingham, England. It was designed by the Birmingham-born architect George Marsh{{National Heritage List for England |num=1420049 |desc=Alpha Tower|access-date=4 April 2015}} of Richard Seifert & Partners as the headquarters of the commercial television company ATV (Associated Television) and part of the company's production studio complex known as ATV Centre, an adjacent shorter tower was planned but was never built. ATV closed in 1982, after which the building became offices.
At {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}}, as of 2023 it is the eighth-tallest building in Birmingham, and became the second-tallest office building in Birmingham after 103 Colmore Row ({{convert|108|m|abbr=on}}) was topped out in 2020.
Building and architecture
It is a Grade A locally listed building. It was nominated for listed building status by the Twentieth Century Society in 2002, although the owners applied for a Certificate of Immunity from Listing. However, English Heritage added Alpha Tower to The National Heritage List for England on 31 July 2014.{{Cite news |url = http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/alpha-tower-handed-listed-status-7617072 | title = Alpha Tower handed listed status | first = Neil | last = Elkes | date = 15 August 2014 | work = Birmingham Post | publisher = Trinity Mirror Midlands | access-date = 28 January 2015 }}
According to English Heritage:
{{Quote|The building is one of the most aesthetically successful office buildings in Birmingham with a shaped outline and careful detailing giving it a dynamic forcefulness. Its design successfully combined several ideas into a powerful and elegant building which soon became, and has continued to be, one of the most popular landmarks of the rebuilding of Birmingham city centre in the mid 20th century.}}
Ownership
In the early 1990s the building was owned by Ellerman Investments - in turn owned by the Barclay Brothers.
Arena Central Developments sold the building to Catalyst's European Property Fund in 2008 for £42.5 million. Birmingham City Council left tenancy in 2010 leaving the building 77% void. Nationwide Building Society put the building into receivership in 2012 and put it on the market for £10.25 million in 2013.{{cite news | url = http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/alpha-tower-sale-quarter-2008-6285687 | title = Birmingham's Alpha Tower on sale for quarter of 2008 price | first = Graeme | last = Brown | date = 8 November 2013 | access-date = 8 November 2013 | work = Birmingham Post | publisher = Trinity Mirror Midlands }}
The building was bought for £14million in February 2014 by Anglo Scandinavian Estates Group who were set to invest £9 million in a refurbishment of the building.{{cite news | url = http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/alpha-tower-set-investment-after-6750628 | title = Alpha Tower set for investment after £14m sale | first = Graeme | last = Brown | date = 27 February 2014 | access-date = 4 March 2014 | work = Birmingham Post | publisher = Trinity Mirror Midlands }} In September 2023, The Business Desk reported that the refurbishment had been completed at the cost of £16.6 million.{{cite news | title = CEG delivers its largest let ready custom design and fit at Alpha Birmingham | first = Rachel | last = Covill | newspaper = The Business Desk | date = September 13, 2023 | access-date = April 10, 2025 | url = https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2077640-ceg-delivers-its-largest-let-ready-custom-design-and-fit-at-alpha-birmingham }}
Occupancy
Birmingham City Council took a large tenancy of the building{{when?|date=February 2023}} until they vacated in 2010.
In popular culture
The tower featured in the Cliff Richard film Take Me High (1973) for both exterior and interior shots.{{cite web | title = 37 amazing images of Cliff Richard and Take Me High (1973) | first = Graham | last = Young | website = Birmingham Live | date = 17 July 2019 | orig-date = 1 April 2019 – Original publication date | access-date = 10 April 2025 | url = https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/gallery/37-amazing-images-cliff-richard-16050381 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Alpha Tower}}
- [http://www.birminghamuk.com/alphatower.htm BirminghamUK.com]
- [http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=154 Skyscrapernews.com's entry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204044418/http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=154 |date=4 February 2012 }}
- {{SkyscraperPage|6251}}
- {{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/110779 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306082048/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/110779 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=6 March 2016 |title=Emporis building ID 110779 |work=Emporis}}
{{BirminghamBuildings}}
Category:Office buildings completed in 1973
Category:Skyscrapers in Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:ITV offices, studios and buildings
Category:Grade II listed buildings in Birmingham
Category:Skyscraper office buildings in England
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