End of an era for Birmingham's NatWest tower
Panoramic pictures have been taken of the views across Birmingham from the NatWest Tower as work starts to dismantle the 22-storey building.
Vacant for a decade, it is being demolished to make way for a new skyscraper that will be the tallest office building outside London.
Development partners Rockspring and Sterling began stripping out the building in August last year and have partially demolished the former banking hall on Colmore Row. Phase two of the demolition programme, dismantling the tower, is now under way.
Just before the top floor of the NatWest Tower was removed, Rockspring and Sterling commissioned photographs of the views from the building. Two panoramic images, one taken at dawn, the other at dusk, have been released to mark this milestone.
Eric Linden, European director at Rockspring, said: "The vistas from 103 Colmore Row are the best the city can offer. The contrasting skylines at sunrise and sunset provide an impressive tableau of the city.
"We have made the images freely available to download from Facebook – www.fac ebook.com/SterlingPV – they make great screensavers."
The NatWest Tower, designed by Brutalist architect John Madin, was built in 1975 from pre-cast concrete panels. Two brick-built ventilation towers have been removed from the top of the building, allowing work to begin on the main structure. Nineteen miles of scaffolding has been wrapped around the building as part of the demolition. Dismantling the tower is expected to be completed in autumn this year, with work commencing on Rockspring and Sterling's 103 Colmore Row in October.
Peter Graham, construction director at Sterling, said: "
The site has had a number of false dawns since it was vacated in 2003, but the removal of this once dominant structure feels like the end of an era."
