Birmingham’s tallest office given mayoral seal of approval

Birmingham’s tallest commercial building – and the tallest under construction in the UK outside London – has reached its full 108m height.

103 Colmore Row boasts 26-storeys and an apex 246m above sea level.

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, joined scheme developer Sterling Property Ventures and contractor BAM for a tour of the site to mark the milestone.

The £87m tower, funded by Tristan Capital Partners, comprises 223,631 sq ft of office accommodation. The double-height rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar and the cafe on the ground floor are let to D&D London.

Andy Street described 103 Colmore Row as “one of the coolest addresses in Birmingham.”

He added: “Not only is it a beacon in the physical way, but in a more important way too. This building symbolises our enormous ambition and hope for our region, but also the confidence investors have in our plans to bring economic recovery and jobs to the region following the impact of Covid-19.

“I congratulate Sterling Property Ventures and Tristan Capital Partners on bringing 103 Colmore Row to fruition by creating an amazing statement building for Birmingham. And even more importantly, bringing with it employment opportunities in the city.

“I personally can’t wait for it to be finished so I can enjoy the breath-taking views.”

Andrew Hawkins, development director at Sterling, said: “Reaching the apex is a landmark for any building, but particularly for Birmingham’s tallest office tower. 103 Colmore Row will be a best in class building, providing occupiers with market leading facilities and the very latest technology to enhance the user experience, as well as being adaptable to meet Covid-19 requirements.

“The last six months have been a testing time but despite the challenges of lockdown and current restrictions, the site has remained operational and thanks to BAM the building remains on schedule for completion in summer next year.

“It was great to welcome Andy Street to the site to show him the progress that has been made and mark the milestone of the building reaching full height.”

Construction of 103 Colmore started in December 2018. Since then, BAM has installed 2,440 tonnes of steel, poured 25,000 tonnes of concrete and fitted 2,300 glazing panels.

John McCarthy of BAM Construction said: “103 Colmore Row now stands above all else in the city and really is the development of a generation. BAM is proud to be building a number of key developments in the centre of Birmingham, and we appreciate the confidence and support we have had from Sterling Property Ventures and Tristan Capital Partners, which is helping us deliver this high-quality building safely at this unprecedented time. We have achieved that thanks to a dedicated project team and the commitment of our local supply chain.”

103 Colmore Row, at the juncture of Colmore Row and Newhall Street, is in the heart of Birmingham’s business district and a conservation area of 40 years standing.

The building offers flexible floorplates from 8,839 sq ft to 12,160 sq ft, with 12 high-speed lifts, including two dedicated lifts for the rooftop restaurant. On-site facilities include shower and changing rooms, 24 car parking spaces with charging points, plus 3 motorcycle and 92 bike spaces.