6.3 Southside
Original Document
Southside is the main arrival location into Birmingham by national and international public transport (west coast main line, rail connection to airport and coach). It includes the area south of New Street down to and including the northern end of the Wholesale Markets. It takes in key sites such as New Street Station, the Arcadian Centre, the Wholesale Markets, the Rag Market, the Ice Rink, the Hippodrome, and the existing Chinese Quarter and Gay Village, with their bars, clubs and restaurants. But at present it does not have the image, quality or excitement of big city nightlife.
Southside has some good streets including one of Birmingham’s last surviving courtyards of back to back housing, now restored and run as a fascinating museum by the National Trust.
Southside has some other good urban features. The sinuous Ringway Centre, completed in 1961, catches the eye as it curves along Smallbrook Queensway and bridges Hurst Street. The Beetham Tower (the Radisson Hotel) contributes to Southside’s skyline. Crosby’s Southside is a recent award winning development on Hurst Street. It has also helped increase the number of shops in the area. The development built on a perimeter block principle has been successful in providing good enclosure, consistent street line and adding interest and variety to the area.
With its excellent transport connections and major arrival point, about to be improved, this is the area that has the greatest potential to accommodate a major expansion of central area uses outside the core. The area offers the prospect of a vibrant district where a number of land uses could successfully co-exist, such as office, retail, residential, culture, entertainment, restaurants and markets. In order to achieve this the street structure needs to be repaired to create a place that is much easier to move through. The redevelopment of the Wholesale Markets will provide the opportunity to remove barriers to movement, create new open spaces and open up routes to the area from Park Central, Eastside, Digbeth and Highgate. One possibility is to create a sizable city square, “Moat Square”, together with a lake or major water feature, on the site of the medieval moated manor house to draw people down from the Bullring and into Southside. This would further the theme of Birmingham as a “Water City”. The centre of activity in the area would be New Street Station, Hurst Street and Moat Square.
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Should a new square be the focal point of Southside? (Popup full image)
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Should Southside become a new commercial centre and focus for tall buildings? (Popup full image)
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How could high density, distinctive housing be accommodated in Southside? (Popup full image)
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A new direct route from Southside to Highgate could be created, like this street lined with shops, cafes and markets (Popup full image)
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Hurst Street could become lined with small cafes and shops (Popup full image)
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Plain English Translation
Southside is the main way people get into Birmingham by national and international public transport (west coast main line, rail connection to airport and coach station).
It includes the area south of New Street down to and including the northern end of the Wholesale Markets. It takes in New Street Station, the Arcadian Centre, the Wholesale Markets, the Rag Market, the Ice Rink (currently closed), the Hippodrome, and the existing Chinese Quarter and Gay Village, with their bars, clubs and restaurants.
But at present we think that it does not have the image, quality or excitement of big city nightlife.
Southside has some other good features:
- One of Birmingham’s last surviving courtyards of back to back housing, now restored and run as a fascinating museum by the National Trust.
- The winding Ringway Centre (see photo on Flickr), completed in 1961, catches the eye as it curves along Smallbrook Queensway and bridges Hurst Street.
- The Beetham Tower (the Radisson Hotel) contributes to Southside’s skyline.
- Crosby’s Southside is a recent award winning development on Hurst Street. It has also helped increase the number of shops in the area.
With its excellent transport connections and with New Street station about to be improved, we think that this is the area that might best be suited to more uses outside the Core.
The area offers the prospect of a vibrant district where offices, shops, houses and flats, culture, entertainment, restaurants and markets. To do this the road layout needs to be repaired to create a place that is much easier to move through.
The redevelopment of the Wholesale Markets will provide the opportunity to remove barriers to movement, create new open spaces and open up routes to the area from Park Central, Eastside, Digbeth and Highgate.
One possibility is to create a sizeable city square, “Moat Square”, together with a lake or major water feature, on the site of the medieval moated manor house to draw people down from the Bullring and into Southside. This would tie in with the idea of Birmingham as a “Water City”. The centre of activity in the area would be New Street Station, Hurst Street and “Moat Square”.
Southside (See image)
Should a new square be the focal point of Southside? (See image)
Should Southside become a new commercial centre and focus for tall buildings? (See image)
How could high density (a lot of homes in a small space), distinctive housing be accommodated in Southside? (See image)
A new direct route from Southside to Highgate could be created, like this street lined with shops, cafes and markets (See image)
Hurst Street could become lined with small cafes and shops (See image)