Smallbrook and Station Street – One new street one old street

This visit, organised by the campaign group Save Smallbrook, will look at 19th and 20th century architecture in two contrasting streets: Station Street and Smallbrook Queensway, both currently under the threat of redevelopment.

Station Street, a modest back street dating from the construction of New Street Station in the 1850s, contains two unique C20 buildings which are UK firsts: the Old Repertory Theatre (1913, Grade II listed), the country’s first purpose-built repertory theatre, and the Electric cinema (1909, listing currently applied for), the country’s oldest surviving cinema. As well, it has the Crown (1876, Grade II listed). The Crown is famously where Black Sabbath played their first gig and many others subsequently.

Smallbrook Queensway was the first part of the new Inner Ring Road to be built in 1960, and the only part to be built in the form of a conventional street. It contains the Ringway Centre (1962, James Roberts), which is currently under threat of demolition and redevelopment, and which Save Smallbrook is campaigning to save. We shall also look at the Rotunda (1965, Grade II listed) and the Holiday Inn (1962, originally the Albany Hotel), both by Roberts, and Norfolk House (1960).

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Station Street, Station Street, Birmingham, United Kingdom