Victorian and Edwardian shopping Arcades still in Birmingham City Centre
While Great Western Arcade is the most well known Victorian shopping Arcade in Birmingham City Centre, others do survive, although not as well known. The Burlington Arcade and Piccadilly Arcade both go from Stephenson Street to New Street. The City Arcade goes from Union Street towards Union Passage. Great Western Arcade goes from Temple Row to Colmore Row.
Built as a cinema in 1910, it was called the Picture House and showed silent films. The architects was Nichol & Nichol of Birmingham. The cinema closed in 1926 and was converted into an arcade of shops. It's original name was the West End Arcade due to it's links to the West End Cinema.
The bronze fascia and shop fronts dates to 1926 and was by J R Shaw. A previous refurbishment in 1989 was done by Douglas Hickman of the John Madin Design Group with trompe l'ceil ceiling paintings by Paul Maxfield.
The entrance to the Piccadilly Arcade on Stephenson Street seen in February 2010. Even from this view you can tell that it looked like a cinema. That year, it had been 100 years since the building had first been built!
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade on Stephenson Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Piccadilly Arcade Stephenson Street (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The most recent refurbishment of the Piccadilly Arcade was completed during November 2018. They had repainted the lower half of the building in a black paint. Perhaps to make it look a bit more traditional. The overhead wires are from the West Midlands Metro line, which at present doesn't go beyond Grand Central Tram Stop, as they are building the next extension to Centenary Square. And they closed off this end of Stephenson Street to add the new tracks to the existing tracks.
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade on Stephenson Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Piccadilly Arcade Stephenson Street (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The interior of the Piccadilly Arcade during October 2010. It slants up from the Stephenson Street entrance towards New Street. When you walk up the arcade, you can't help but look up at the amazing artwork on the ceiling. As of 2018 it is 29 years old (1989). The BT phone box with the old style BT logo dates it to the late 1980s.
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Piccadilly arcade.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
This view from December 2018 with Christmas decorations after the most recent refurbishment. Previously the shop fronts had been painted white, now they are painted black. Although the ceiling around the paintings is still painted white.
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/piccadily.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
This interior view of the Piccadilly Arcade was taken in October 2010. Heading down from New Street towards Stephenson Street. You can head this way down to Birmingham New Street Station. At the time it was around then when the redevelopment of the station had begun, and would take 5 long years to complete!
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Piccadilly Arcade interior (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Summer 2017 in the Piccadilly Arcade, and they had one of the Big Sleugh bears inside, this one was called Wild City by the artist Kathleen Smith. I think it was half way near the top close to New Street.
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade Big Sleuth Wild City" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Piccadilly Arcade Big Sleuth bear.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
View of the Piccadilly Arcade from New Street. This view was taken in August 2010. From here you can see Wren style turrets on the top of the building. Details you wouldn't notice if you walk past.
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade from New Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Piccadilly Arcade New Street (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
If you get a window seat at Pret a Manger on New Street, like I did in January 2018, you get this view of the Piccadilly Arcade. From there I noticed details when zooming in from my camera. There is a shield on top. Just above the Piccadilly sign is what looks like a pair of babies sitting on a duck! Most people would just walk past and not even look up at the details of any of the buildings on New Street.
dndimg alt="Piccadilly Arcade from New Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Piccadilly Arcade New Street (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Originally built as the Midland Hotel between 1867 and 1875 for Isaac Horton and designed by Thomson Plevins. Later became the Burlington Hotel from the then owners Macdonalds Hotels & Resorts. The hotel entrance turned into Burlington Passage (or the Burlington Arcade) around 1994.
Starting from Stephenson Street. This view was from January 2011 before the road was dug up to lay the Midland Metro extension tracks. May have also been when traffic stopped going on Stephenson Street. Although I seem to recall that buses last used the road in 2012 (when routes were changed when the bus interchanges were built).
dndimg alt="Burlington Arcade entrance on Stephenson Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade Stephenson Street (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
I have cropped this photo of a Midland Metro Urbos 3 tram at Grand Central Tram Stop to show the Burlington Hotel. This was in May 2016 when tram drivers were training and doing tests on the 1st extension before the line opened to the public. The new Birmingham New Street Station fully opened in 2015, although the Stephenson Street section was completed in time for Half Time Switch Over during 2013 (when half of the new station opened and the other half closed to create the new concourse). Entrance to the Burlington Arcade is on the left, slightly after the tram stop.
dndimg alt="Burlington Hotel and Grand Central Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade Stephenson Street (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
I don't often take photos when I pass through the Burlington Arcade, but this caught my eye on the left (as I walked from the Stephenson Street entrance towards New Street). Steps down to an underground bar called the Bacchus Bar. The wall paintings and columns reminds me of either Ancient Greek art or Ancient Roman art. Maybe even like something you would find at the ruins of Pompeii!
dndimg alt="Burlington Arcade Bacchus Bar" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade Bacchus Bar.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The only photos of the interior of this arcade I have were with Christmas lights during late December 2009, looking up towards the ceiling. You can see all the red brick work from Victorian times. Plus a modern glass ceiling from the mid 1990s. This was coming from the New Street entrance heading down towards Stephenson Street.
dndimg alt="Burlington Arcade Christmas lights" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade Xmas lights interior (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Christmas lights on this side looking down towards the Stephenson Street entrance (also December 2009).
dndimg alt="Burlington Arcade Christmas lights" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade Xmas lights interior (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
As far as I recall, I haven't taken a full on shot of the Burlington Hotel from New Street, mostly indirect shots like this one. Christmas lights seen at night on New Street during November 2010. The entrance to the Burlington Arcade from New Street is to the right between the shops. On the New Street side it is two blocks either side of the entrance to the Burlington Arcade. Italianate in white brick, now painted.
dndimg alt="Burlington Hotel on New Street with Christmas lights" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade New Street Xmas lights.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
A new view of the Burlington Arcade entrance on New Street, as seen from Cannon Street during December 2018, while the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market was on.
dndimg alt="Burlington Arcade on New Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade on New Street from Cannon Street (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The modern entrance canopy between the two blocks. Also the entrance to the Burlington Hotel.
dndimg alt="Burlington Arcade on New Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Burlington Arcade on New Street from Cannon Street (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The Great Western Arcade was originally built around 1876 to 1877 by the Great Western Company above the Snow Hill railway tunnel between Moor Street and Snow Hill stations. The architect was W H Ward, who was influenced by Joseph Paxton's Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in 1851. The arcade is a Grade II listed building.
The arcade suffered heavy bomb damage during World War 2 and the Colmore Row entrance had to be rebuilt. The arcade was restored in 1984.
The Temple Row entrance retains it's historic Victorian facade, and looks amazing after it was restored. If you headed up the North Western Arcade from Corporation Street, you might enter the Great Western Arcade if you are walking towards Birmingham Snow Hill Station.
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade Temple Row entrance" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Great Western Arcade Temple Row entrance (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Stop for a minute on Temple Row and look up above the entrance. There is a sculpture called Allegories of Science and Art, also by the architect W H Ward, who made it in 1875. The male figure on the left represents science, holds attributes including dividers and compasses. The female figure on the right represents the arts, holds an painter's palette and has an easel by her side. It used to be visible from the first floor of Coffee Republic opposite, although they closed down early in 2017. The arcade is in the Italian-French Renaissance architecture style.
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade Temple Row entrance - Allegories of Science and Art" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Great Western Arcade Temple Row entrance (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
One of my first views of the interior of the Great Western Arcade seen during September 2009, this view from Temple Row towards Colmore Row, looking up at the ceiling. Probably a replacement, as the original was bombed out during WW2. Many shops lines both sides of the arcade.
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade interior" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Great Western Arcade interior (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
It was June 2012, and Union Jack bunting lined the Great Western Arcade. This direction from the Colmore Row entrance towards Temple Row. Again looking up at the ceiling. This was during the Queens's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade interior" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Great Western Arcade interior (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Christmas decorations in the Great Western Arcade. These went up during November 2018. Again Colmore Row towards Temple Row.
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade interior" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Great Western Arcade interior (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
During February 2013, the Big Egg Hunt was on in Birmingham City Centre. Was many easter eggs up and down the Great Western Arcade. Close to the Temple Row exit was this easter egg with a bunny rabbit on it!
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade Big Egg Hunt" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/GWA Big Egg Hunt rabbit.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The Big Hoot 2015 was a trail of owls around Birmingham during the summer of 2015. Long after the trail ended, they made one more owl for Christmas 2015. Seen during December 2015 was Christmas Owl designed by Jane Anderson. These owls were nice to see around Birmingham.
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade The Big Hoot" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/GWA Big Hoot Christmas Owl.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The Colmore Row entrance of the Great Western Arcade. It matches the design of the office block on the left called Colmore Gate which was built between 1990 and 1992 by the Seymour Harris Partnership. Built in the style of Cass-Gilbert-period New York. Offices above the arcade, shops below. You would see this entrance if you are leaving Birmingham Snow Hill Station the Colmore Row entrance. The last major refurbishment to the arcade was in 2009.
dndimg alt="Great Western Arcade Colmore Row entrance" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Great Western Arcade Colmore Row entrance.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
This arcade was built from 1898 until 1901, by T.W.F Newton and Cheattle, the decorative terracotta and green faience by Doulton and Co and other detailing by W J Neatby. The arcade is a Grade II* listed building.
We start off looking at the entrance from Union Passage, you might come up here from New Street (past the Britannia Hotel). Or from up Warwick Passage that leads from Corporation Street. Most of these photos were taken during November 2009.
dndimg alt="City Arcade - Union Passage" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade Union Passage (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Another view of the Union Passage entrance looking at the upper floors. Most of the time this arcade isn't too busy, and it is usually just a shortcut from Union Street to Union Passage. Since the former Big Top centre closed for refurbishment (near where WH Smith used to be) this area has gotten even quieter. The listing for this building describes the Union Passage side as "ulilitarian".
dndimg alt="City Arcade - Union Passage" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade Union Passage (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Don't often take new photos of City Arcade these days when I pass through or around here. This was November 2015 shortly after a cafe called Tilt opened. You can see Corporation Street over to the left down Warwick Passage.
dndimg alt="City Arcade - Union Passage - Tilt" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade Union Passage (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
A look up at the ceiling in City Arcade. You would only be in here for a short period as this arcade isn't that long. It is a coffered ceiling. You would notice the green and red details in the ceiling as well as the intermittent cupolas. There is red window frames at both ends.
dndimg alt="City Arcade interior" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade interior (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
There is nothing much else to say about the interior ceiling of City Arcade, although there used to be a net below the ceiling. But it looks like that was removed sometime between 2016 and 2017. The light fittings inside are certainly unique, a bit like chandeliers!
dndimg alt="City Arcade interior" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade interior (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The Union Street side of City Arcade. There is three storeys on this side of the building. At the top is polygonal turrets with little cupolas. Santander is in the City Arcade units on the left on the corner with Union Passage. Back in 2009 it was still Abbey. Christmas lights seen on Union Street during November 2009.
WH Smith was in the building next door, although they moved out of those units earlier in 2018, to some of the former BHS units on Union Street a bit further down. City Centre House is an office block to the left. This road is between High Street (to the left) and Corporation Street (over to the right). Martineau Place is opposite of City Arcade on Union Street.
dndimg alt="City Arcade - Union Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade Union Street.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Looking up to the turrets and domes on the Union Street façade of City Arcade. Most people just pass by without noticing the details. Such as the portrait faces, can you see them?
dndimg alt="City Arcade on Union Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade on Union Street (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
You can tell the difference between a building from the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, to the building next to it built a century later. Doesn't have as much details, although they did try there best! Superdrug occupies the ground floor of the building at the corner of Union Street and Corporation Street. It is called Victoria House. It does have some domes at the top of it's own corner turrets.
dndimg alt="City Arcade on Union Street" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/City Arcade on Union Street (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Photos taken by Elliott Brown.