Close to New Street station, Borough Buildings was originally built in c.1909 as an early car showroom. It has since had many uses including a carpet warehouse, an art gallery and offices. In 2020 planning permission was granted for 2 storeys to be added. It is currently empty and run down with boarded windows and is falling foul to graffiti.

Our desire was to reinvigorate the building creating an active street frontage. The Birmingham Development Plan and Design Guide supports proposals “which reinforce and promote Birmingham’s role as a centre for tourism, culture and events”. In line with this it was decided to turn it into a hotel. We conducted studies to explore the possibility of extending higher and also to the rear.

It was felt that a 3-storey extension achieved a more balanced relationship with the existing 4-storey building in proportional terms, with the additional floors complementing the original structure. From a townscape perspective this approach helps the development sit more comfortably within the wider street scene. The stepped hierarchy between the host building and the extension preserves the prominence of the original structure.

The new hotel will have 179 bedrooms, a co-working space, a breakfast bar and a café with outside area. The new ground floor will reintroduce an active frontage onto John Bright Street. Its proximity to New Street station and the City Centre gives it access to good public transport and lends weight to its suitability to be used for this purpose. 

Our experts held a webinar in December 2025, where they explained our ideas in more detail and answered questions from local stakeholders.  They are always keen to engage with local groups and residents. If you have further questions please use our contact us page to get in touch.