Five Ways Tower

Five Ways Tower
Five Ways Tower in 2020
Interactive map of the Five Ways Tower area
General information
Status	Demolition ongoing
Type	Commercial
Architectural style	Modernism
Location	Frederick Road, Five Ways, Birmingham, England
Coordinates	52°28′16.74″N 1°54′58.78″W
Completed	1979 (1979)
Closed	2005 (2005)
Demolished	2023 (2023) (ongoing)
Height
Height	76 metres (249 ft)
Technical details
Structural system	Steel, Concrete
Material	Brick, Concrete, Steel, Reinforced Concrete, Precast Concrete, Glass
Floor count	23
Floor area	100,000 square feet (9,290 m2)
Lifts/elevators	7 (6 installed by Schindler Elevator Corporation in the tower, 1 unknown in the low rise section, now demolished)
Design and construction
Architect	Philip Bright
Architecture firm	Property Services Agency

Five Ways Tower is a 23-storey commercial building, completed in 1979, on a 2.1-acre (8,500 m²) prime site located in the Birmingham City Centre by the corner of Frederick Road and Islington Road, near to the Five Ways roundabout and close to Five Ways Station, at the gateway to the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England.

The building became vacant with the last tenants evacuating the building in 2005 due to ill health amongst the workforces. It was discovered that the building suffered from sick building syndrome, and although several hotels expressed interest in acquiring the building from its owners, since its solid concrete design could be converted into a business class hotel, it was decided to be demolished due to it being too expensive to refurbish to modern standards.

Over the last couple of years, the building had become a target for trespassers due to a popularity in "urban exploration". The building suffered extensively from external damage including many smashed and missing windows, graffiti and structural damage, despite the owner's extensive efforts to prevent this by installing more fencing, this continued. Security vans and cameras were later installed during the summer of 2023 to deter vandalism and trespassing on the site.

The building was in excess of 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m²) of existing net office space, six lifts, basement storage, and a double height floor at the top. The building held a carpark for approximately 200 cars allocated to the Tower.

Demolition to the building began in November 2023, with the tower's low-rise offices and car park torn down to make way for a structure of similar scale together with two smaller blocks for student/residential uses. No further demolition has been completed since, with the main tower still standing.

The building's architect was Philip Bright of the Property Services Agency. Andy Foster described it as being similar to the work of James Stirling.

See also

• List of tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham

External links

• Emporis entry
• Skyscrapernews entry Archived 30 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine