The Sentinels
The Sentinels | |
---|---|
Modernist | |
Location | Holloway Circus, Birmingham, England |
Completed | 1971 |
Height | 90m |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 31 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Bryant's Ltd |
The Sentinels are two 90 metre tall
History
Planning
The tower blocks were the brainchild of the Chairman of Birmingham's House Building and Housing Management Committees returning from a visit to Chicago to witness the opening of the Marina City development which consists of two 61-storey towers.[2] The councillors decided that Birmingham needed a development similar to this and in 1965, plans began to surface for the construction of twin towers at Holloway Head to overlook the new ring road.[2]
After discussions over height, it was decided that the tower blocks should be 32 storeys tall, one storey taller than the Red Road tower blocks in Glasgow, Scotland.[2] It was decided to construct them out of concrete, which was common among tower blocks in the city during that time. They were designed by C.Bryant & Son.[2] and both towers were identical though angled differently to provide a different perspective to each block.
Construction
The project was approved in 1967[3] and construction of the towers commenced immediately. Cleveland Tower was completed in 1970[4] and Clydesdale Tower in 1971.[5] Upon their opening, they had 488 flats.[3]
Recent changes to housing legislation by the incoming
Although changes to the Council's letting policy subsequently ended cost rent lettings, the Sentinels have always enjoyed a wider range of residents than many other blocks and remain popular.
During the height of the
Refurbishment
In 1999, residents of The Sentinels together with four other council owned estates, voted to transfer their homes into the ownership of an independent housing association, Optima Community Association. Optima then embarked on an extensive refurbishment programme as part of a wider regeneration scheme in the Attwood Green area in Birmingham.
The project at The Sentinels involved replacing windows, kitchens, lifts, refurbishing the communal areas and improving security. A new entrance was constructed as well as a roof feature, lighting scheme, which illuminates the building a blue light at night, and the addition of new cladding to the exterior of the building.
In 2004, the Sentinels Residents Association submitted a petition to Birmingham City Council complaining about waste facilities. They also complained about a man, who had previously threatened suicide, being rehoused on a high floor of one of the towers.[7]
See also
- Beetham Tower, Birmingham
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham
References
- ^ "Citizen | History". Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d Bigger is Better? Local authority housing and the strange attraction of high-rise, 1945-70, Phil Jones, University of Birmingham, 25 October 2002
- ^ a b Emporis: The Sentinels
- ^ Emporis: Cleveland Tower
- ^ Emporis: Clydesdale Tower
- ISBN 1-84142-058-1.
- ^ Minutes of a meeting of the Ladywood Ward Committee held on Thursday 15 April 2004 at 1900 hours, in St. Thomas' Primary School, Great Colmore Street, Lee Bank, Ladywood, Birmingham