High Street and St. Martin's Circus
Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
The mall-type shopping centre evolved differently in Great Britain than in the United States, Canada or Australia. The typical suburban model seen in North America, or in The Land Down Under, was not developed extensively in the United Kingdom.
Large, regional-class shopping malls, as North Americans and Aussie's came to know them, were built in England. However, these were few and far between and, more often than not, situated in the central city. Great Britain's first suburban-style mall would not appear until 1976.
The centre city "shopping precinct" was the first type of retail mall developed in England. Planning for Birmingham's BULL RING CENTRE began in 1959, when the Birmingham Corporation solicited proposals for redevelopment of the city centre. A plan submitted by John Laing Construction, Limited was accepted in February 1960. A 23-acre plot had been cleared by this time. It had been the site of a cattle market, or "bull ring," since the time of Henry II, who reigned between 1154 to 1189.
By the 16th century, the area had outdoor markets selling textiles and foods. An indoor market was built between 1832 and 1835. The roof of this structure was destroyed by a Luftwaffe bombing raid in August 1940. It was never repaired and the walled facility was utilised as an open-air market for several years.
Work commenced on the BULL RING CENTRE project on May 15, 1961. The shopping-centre-to-be would be comprised of seven levels, encompass approximately 350,000 lettable square feet and contain 140 stores and services. It would feature fifty-eight escalators, two open-air markets, a covered fish market, 95-bay bus terminal, 9-storey office block and 5-level car park.
The complex was designed by two Laing Construction architects; Sydney Greenwood and T. J. Hirst. It was built in a stark, modernist style which came to be known as Brutalist. In addition to its subterranean bus terminal, the mall was accessed by two British Rail stations, an Inner Ringway road and labyrinth of pedestrian tunnels known as subways.
BULL RING CENTRE was dedicated on May 29, 1964, in a ceremony officiated by Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Charter stores in the 24 million pound facility included Turner's Shoes, Tay's The Butcher, Oswald Bailey, Wymans, Bata Shoes, Foster Brothers and Mann's and Fine Fair supermarkets.
The predominant retailer in the complex was a 4-level (95,000 square foot) Woolworth's variety store. As a matter of note, the British Woolworth chain was a division of New York City-based F.W. Woolworth & Company. This British division had opened its first store, in Liverpool, in 1909.
Patrons coming to BULL RING CENTRE by automobile could pull into its car park entrance and leave their vehicle with a uniformed valet. He would drive into a lift (elevator) that would transport the auto to the car park structure above.
The ultramodern centre featured soothing muzak piped into its artificially-lit mallways. There was a "pram park," where children could be watched as mothers did their shopping, and bird aviary with macaws, parakeets and cockatoos. A "late spring atmosphere all year round" was maintained with an oil-fired central heating an air-conditioning system. The exterior of the structure also featured a 44-foot-wide screen which ran news flashes, sports results, weather forecasts and advertisements.
Unfortunately, by the late 1970s, the newness had worn off of BULL RING CENTRE. The complex began to empty out due to exorbitant rents demanded for shopping and office space. Escalators often broke down. Moreover, pedestrian subways had become notorious for muggings and assaults.
The complex, which had opened with high hopes and aspirations, began to be viewed as an urban planning blunder. By the early 1980s, the centre was in an ever-worsening state of disrepair. It was largely vacant, covered with graffiti, with open spaces often littered with debris.
A redevelopment plan was devised, but not carried out. Subsequent proposals in 1987 and 1995 failed, as well. In 1999, a successful redevelopment scenario gained approval. It was put forward by a joint venture known as the Birmingham Alliance. This was formed from constituents of the London-based Hammerson Group, Global Investors and Land Securities Group.
Tenants at BULL RING CENTRE relocated into the adjoining Rag Market, which was south of the main structure. The bulk of the mall was demolished between June 2000 and March 2001. The site, now encompassing an expanded 26 acres, was filled by a new, post-modern shopping precinct known as BULLRING BIRMINGHAM.
The 500 million pound (897 million US dollar) facility was designed by London-based Benoy. The enclosed and open-air shopping hub was officially dedicated on September 4, 2003. It enveloped approximately 1,184,000 lettable square feet and contained 160 stores and services. There were three main shopping levels; St. Martin's Square, New Street Station and High Street-New Street.
Anchoring BULLRING BIRMINGHAM was a 4-level (250,000 square foot), London-based Selfridges and 4-level (207,000 square foot), London-based Debenhams. Inline shops included Jack & Jones-Vero Moda, Armani Exchange, JD Sports and DKNY.
BULLRING BIRMINGHAM was the largest retail-oriented centre city redevelopment Europe had ever seen. It became the crown jewel of the much-heralded reinvention of Birmingham, which made the transition from a rust-belt-type, past-its-prime "concrete jungle" into a centre of commerce, tourism and high-tech industry.
A charter anchor store was lost when Debenhams went dark on May 15, 2021. The vacant building was retanted by London-based Marks & Spencer, who welcomed first customers on November 7, 2023. The BULLRING mall now housed ninety-nine stores and services.
Sources:
The Birmingham Daily Post
The Guardian (London, England)
The Financial Times (London, England)
"The Bull Ring Centre, Birmingham" / Official Architecture & Planning / Alexandrine Press / July 1964
"The Failure of the Preservation of Brutalism in Birmingham, England" / Kelsey Dootson / 2016
http://www.mad.com.uk
http://reference.findtarget.com
http://www.bullring.com.uk (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.bullring.co.uk
https://www.mallsecrets.co.uk
