The Mailbox from Suffolk Street Queensway and from the Canalside over the years
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Most of these photos of The Mailbox were taken in the years before the 2015 refurbishment. The main entrance to The Mailbox up the steps from Royal Mail Street can be seen from Suffolk Street Queensway. The Canalside with all the restaurants and bars is close to Gas Street Basin at the sharp turn of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. The Cube joined it in 2010.
The Mailbox
The Mailbox opened to the public in December 2000. Previously the original building had been used as Royal Mail's main sorting office for Birmingham. It was built in 1970. It replaced the old Victorian head post office in Victoria Square (now Victoria Square House). The building was designed by R. H. Ousman of the Ministry of Public Building and Works. Before that, it was the location of a railway goods yard, which had links to the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and Gas Street Basin. There is also an underground tunnel which linked the building to New Street Station.
The first redevelopment took place from 1997 until 2000. The architect was Associated Architects who now have offices at The Mailbox at the corner of Severn Street and Commercial Street. BBC Birmingham moved from Pebble Mill to The Mailbox in 2004.
The second redevelopment took place from 2013 until 2015. This time the architects was Stanton Williams. The Mailbox was given a roof, as it was previously open air in the malls. Harvey Nichols moved the front of the building to units further inside. (I'll cover this regeneration in a future post apart from the photos posted below).
In this post, we will be looking at the exterior that you can see from Suffolk Street Queensway and from the Canalside. The buildings do also go up Severn Street and Commercial Street (but we won't be looking at that side).
Suffolk Street Queensway
Some of my earliest photos of The Mailbox taken during April 2009. The view below nea Brunel Street Car Park. Probably seen from Brunel Street and close to Navigation Street. The Orion Building to the left.
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The Mailbox in red seen from Suffolk Street Queensway, looking down Royal Mail Street. Designed to look like you can pop a letter in a postbox. Harvey Nichols was at the front. The Malmaison Hotel was also in the building by this point in time.
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With a change of camera by June 2009, I got a then new photo of The Mailbox from Suffolk Street Queensway. Severn Street is to the left.
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My earliest nightshots of The Mailbox were taken during December 2009. I was probably heading to a work Christmas Party at the time.
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All lit up in red with Christmas trees outside and this bus or coach ghosting as it went past towards the Queensway tunnels.
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Similar view in December 2012 at night. You normally have to walk under the Queensway through a square which is lit up.
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By July 2013, the redevelopment of The Mailbox would be starting soon. Around this time was one of the summers when the Queensway tunnels were closed for modernisation works. Was also a taxi rank at The Mailbox on Royal Mail Street.
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In this March 2014 view of The Mailbox, the redevelopment was underway. At the front it said "Still open, still luxurious as we build you a better Mailbox."
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Harvey Nichols during July 2014. The main entrance was closed, so you had to either walk to the restaurants and bars via Severn Street. Or get to Harvey Nichols via the car park. Or straight ahead for the Malmaison Bar and Brasserie.
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By April 2015 The Mailbox and Harvey Nichols was looking a bit like a wrapped present with a bow. Main entrance was still closed.
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The Mailbox was open fully again by October 2015. There was now a lot of security guards inside, so you have to be careful carrying a big camera around inside (or put it away and use your smartphone camera instead). "Life Made Beautiful". Harvey Nichols had opened in there new store further inside.
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A day later and got this view of The Mailbox from Suffolk Street Queensway.
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Another nightshot taken of The Mailbox during November 2015. Always rushhour traffic on Suffolk Street Queensway coming out of the Queensway tunnels.
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Canalside
Got my earliest Canalside photos of The Mailbox during June 2009. This view to the entrance to The Mailbox (left). BBC Birmingham are in the offices above.
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Originally there used to be a narrowboat mooring area down there. And you used to be able to get the Waterbus from The Mailbox around the City Centre canals (never went on it myself). The original steps at the time led down to the restaurants and bars. Apparently this basin is called the Refuge Basin.
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There used to be space for two narrowboats to be moored here. Such as Away2Dine. These days they have to be moored around the Worcester Bar. They could also be hired for narrowboating holidays (at least the one on the right could).
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The route of the Salvage Turn Bridge was different at the time. It would be altered a year later in 2010.
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The Cube was under construction at the time to the right of The Mailbox.
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New steps were opened by May 2010.
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This gave access to an outdoor eating area for the restaurant down there. Also somewhere to sit on the new steps.
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Behind that living wall was the tunnel under the Mailbox that leads to New Street Station. It is now sealed off from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. People have been on tours of the tunnel, but I never have (not even sure where the entrance is, must be a secret).
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With The Cube nearing completion and getting ready to open, in June 2010 the route of the Salvage Turn Bridge was rebuilt,
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The previous bases in the canal were still there, but they would be eventually removed. At the time Bar Epernay and Pennyblacks were at The Mailbox.
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Another route up to The Mailbox is up this path from Holliday Street. It follows on from Bridge Street. But there are steps at the bottom and top, and is quite steep. But there are lifts inside of The Mailbox for disabled and older people to use. Seen in July 2010. Go this way if you want to avoid going into The Mailbox from the main entrance.
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In December 2010 I got the two views below from the Salvage Turn Bridge. Snow and ice on the canal. Was also a Christmas tree installed on a base, usually where the narrowboats used to moor up.
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Looking down the metal steps from the Salvage Turn Bridge to Pennyblacks. Was still bases in the canal from the old location of the metal footbridge.
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The Waterbus seen moored at The Mailbox during April 2012. You can get it from here to Brindleyplace and Sherborne Wharf and it was called Ariel. At the time there was a Pizza Express and a bar restaurant called The Oriential down there. Never been on it myself.
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Some August 2014 canalside views. Red Peppers was to the left of the Canalside entrance to The Mailbox. Steps down to the path that leads to Holliday Street and Bridge Street on the left.
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Côte Brasserie had outdoor seating to the right of the new steps outside with at lleast one parasol to keep custoemrs dry.
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Only 5 years before, part of this area was part of the canal. But was now built over for restaurant and bar use. Must be pleasant to sit out there and eat a meal in the sunshine!
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An October 2015 view to the Canalside entrance of The Mailbox. This was after the last redevelopment was completed / opened. Everyman Cinema is to the right of here.
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In April 2016 AC Hotel Birmingham was being insalled in The Mailbox. Above was Cafe Rouge and Zizzi to the right.
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Snow and ice during March 2018 (the Beast from the East). The view seen under the Salvage Turn Bridge towards Aluna. A Canada goose was standing on one leg on the ice.
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In August 2018, I saw this Higher Access cherry picker / scissor lift outside of Bar Estilo and the Everyman Cinema. The footpath around it was closed at the time.
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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.
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