ICC Birmingham

Last updated

International Convention Centre
West Midlands Metro tracks in Birmingham (geograph 6975888).jpg
Exterior view of the venue (c.2021)
Address8 Centenary Square
Birmingham B1 2EA
England
Coordinates 52°28′44.12″N1°54′38.61″W / 52.4789222°N 1.9107250°W / 52.4789222; -1.9107250 Coordinates: 52°28′44.12″N1°54′38.61″W / 52.4789222°N 1.9107250°W / 52.4789222; -1.9107250
Owner NEC Group
Operator NEC Group
Built1984–91
Architect
Inaugurated12 June 1991 (1991-06-12)
Opened2 April 1991 (1991-04-02)
Renovated2015–16
Construction cost
£200 million
(£684 million in 2021 dollars [1] )
Theatre seating
2,262 (Symphony Hall)
1,500 (Conference Auditorium)
Enclosed space
  Total space9,104 m2 (97,990 sq ft)
  Exhibit hall floor4,151 m2 (44,680 sq ft)
  Breakout/meeting1,927 m2 (20,740 sq ft)
Website
Official website

The International Convention Centre (ICC) is a major conference venue in Birmingham, England. The centre incorporates Symphony Hall and faces Centenary Square, with another entrance leading to the canals of Birmingham. The Westside area, which includes Brindleyplace, is opposite the building on the other side of the canal. The centre is owned and operated by the NEC Group, who is also responsible for the nearby Arena Birmingham, just to the west of the complex.

Contents

History and construction

The building was designed by Percy Thomas Partnership and Renton Howard Wood Levin. The foundation stone was laid by Jacques Delors as a start of another 4 years and 5 months of construction. In all, over 1,500 workers helped construct the building. Over 60,000 cubic metres of concrete were used. The site was opened on 12 June 1991 by Queen Elizabeth II. Funds of £49.7 million were provided by the European Council. The total cost of construction was £200 million.

It is on the site of the Prince of Wales Theatre and Bingley Hall, the world's first purpose-built exhibition hall, opened in 1850. Also on the site were numerous houses fronting King Edward's Place as well as a brewery and inn. On the eastern side of this was King Alfreds Place which was also fronted by houses and a hotel. A listed Victorian cast iron urinal was removed before construction began, on condition that it be re-erected. Although it was taken to Tyseley Locomotive Works, it has never been restored.

The ICC hosted the 24th G8 summit in May 1998.

On a specified date in August, the building is used by companies, organisations and/ or individuals as part of "Discovery Day" which features events co-ordinated all over the city. In 2004, an area was used as an indoor country fair. The fair featured a Ferris wheel and small rides. In spring 2008, the hall hosted its first-party political conference, for the Labour Party. [2] The venue has since hosted party conferences for all three main political parties over successive years.

Architecture

The Central Mall, Birmingham ICC International Convention Centre, Birmingham, mall.jpg
The Central Mall, Birmingham ICC
ICC evening view from across Birmingham Canal Old Line 02 International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham UK.jpg
ICC evening view from across Birmingham Canal Old Line

The façade of the building is covered in blue-tinted windows and white stone cladding. The entrance is adorned by a neon sculpture, by Ron Hasledon, named "Birdlife" which hangs above it. [3] The entrance is used as a small performance area and small protests are sometimes held there. The south side of the building features a link bridge to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. When the pre-fabricated connecting bridge was delivered, it was found to be too short, as the plans for the hotel had been modified, moving it away from the ICC slightly, but the bridge makers had not been informed.[ citation needed ]

Inside the building, numerous connecting bridges and walkways line the atrium overhead connecting the ten halls and ten additional meeting rooms. The ICC has a total capacity of 8,000 delegates. The largest hall, Hall 3, can hold up to 3,000 delegates when fully using its 3,050m2 space. [4]

RoomFloor Area (m2)Maximum Capacity
Conference Auditorium (Hall 1)1,502
Symphony Hall 2,262
Hall 33,0503,000
Hall 4806830
Hall 5300
Hall 6113120
Hall 7148140
Hall 8319306
Hall 9296300
Hall 10236250
Hall 11360345

Within the mall, there are a number of concessions, including a branch of Castle Fine Art which sells original paintings and prints, a WHSmith store, coffee shops including a Starbucks store as well as the box office for tickets for both Symphony Hall and other local theatres. Hotdesking space is also available with computers providing internet access.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad Street, Birmingham</span>

Broad Street is a major thoroughfare and popular nightspot centre in Central Birmingham, England. Traditionally, Broad Street was considered to be outside Birmingham City Centre, but as the city centre expanded with the removal of the Inner Ring Road, Broad Street has been incorporated into the new Westside district of the city centre due to its position within the A4540 road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centenary Square</span>

Centenary Square is a public square on the north side of Broad Street in Birmingham, England, named in 1989 to commemorate the centenary of Birmingham achieving city status. The area was an industrial area of small workshops and canal wharves before it was purchased by the council in the 1920s for the creation of a grand civic centre scheme to include museums, council offices, cathedral and opera house. The scheme was abandoned after the arrival of World War II with only the Hall of Memory and half of the planned Baskerville House complete. After the war the scheme was revived in a simpler form however the council never managed to implement the design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Exhibition Centre</span> Exhibition and conference centre in Solihull near Birmingham, England

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, Solihull, West Midlands, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utilita Arena Birmingham</span> Sports arena

Arena Birmingham is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, United Kingdom. It is owned by parent company the NEC Group. When it was opened in 1991, it was the largest indoor arena in the UK. The arena was renamed Utilita Arena Birmingham on 15 April 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhibition Place</span> Publicly owned mixed-use development in Toronto

Exhibition Place is a publicly owned mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197-acre (80 ha) site includes exhibit, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial, and national historic sites. The district's facilities are used year-round for exhibitions, trade shows, public and private functions, and sporting events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brindleyplace</span>

Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use canalside development, in the Westside district of Birmingham, England. It was named after Brindley Place, the name of the street around which it is built. It was developed by the Argent Group from 1993 onwards. In addition to shops, bars and restaurants, Brindleyplace is home to the National Sea Life Centre, Royal Bank of Scotland, Orion Media, Ikon Gallery of art and the Crescent Theatre. The site covers 17 acres (69,000 m²) of mixed-use redevelopment on a grand scale - the UK's largest such project. The Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line Canal separates Brindleyplace from the International Convention Centre, although there are linking bridges. The National Indoor Arena, Old Turn Junction and bustling bars of Broad Street are nearby and it is easily accessible and within walking distance of the main bus, metro (tram) and rail routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre</span> Convention center in Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is a group of three adjacent buildings next to the Yarra River in South Wharf, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The venues are owned and operated by the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Toronto Convention Centre</span>

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, is a convention complex located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada along Front Street West in the former Railway Lands in Downtown Toronto. The property is today owned by Oxford Properties. The centre is operated by the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre Corporation, an independent agency of the Government of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sage Gateshead</span> Music performance and education centre in Gateshead, England

Sage Gateshead is a concert venue and musical education centre in Gateshead on the south side of the River Tyne in North East England. Opened in 2004 and occupied by North Music Trust it is part of the Gateshead Quays development which includes the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Its name honors a patron: the accountancy software company The Sage Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ExCeL London</span> Exhibitions and international convention centre in the London Borough of Newham

ExCeL London is an exhibition and international convention centre in the Custom House area of Newham, East London. It is situated on a 100-acre (0.40 km2) site on the northern quay of the Royal Victoria Dock in London Docklands, located between Canary Wharf and London City Airport

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre</span>

The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex is a large events facility located in the city centre of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is named after 1960 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of the African National Congress, Inkosi Albert Luthuli. Opened by former president Nelson Mandela in 1997, the Durban ICC was South Africa’s first International Convention Centre and has played a pioneering role in attracting international events to Durban since its inception. The complex is composed of an arena, hotel, convention and exhibition centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter Gardens, Blackpool</span> UK entertainment complex (opened 1878)

The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which includes a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, operated by Blackpool Entertainment Company Limited on behalf of Blackpool Council, which purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bingley Hall</span> First purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain

Bingley Hall in Birmingham was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain. It was built in 1850 and burned down in 1984. The International Convention Centre now stands on the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Convention Center (Jerusalem)</span>

The International Convention Center, commonly known as Binyenei HaUma, is a concert hall and convention center in Giv'at Ram in Jerusalem. It is the largest convention center in the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyatt Regency Birmingham</span> Hotel in Birmingham, England

The Hyatt Regency Birmingham is a hotel on Broad Street in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Hyatt Regency Birmingham stands at a height of 75 metres 24 floors and has 319 guest rooms. The hotel has a blue glass exterior facade, and stands across the road from the International Convention Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbican Centre</span> Performing arts centre in London, England

The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory. The Barbican Centre is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

The Calabar International Convention Centre it's found located in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria. It opened in the third quarter of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Convention Centre Sydney</span> Building in Darling Harbour

The International Convention Centre Sydney is an exhibition and convention centre which opened in December 2016, in Sydney, Australia. ICC Sydney is Australia's second largest fully integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment centre, behind Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Created as a multipurpose event space, ICC Sydney has over 70 meeting rooms, three theatres and two formal ballrooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Convention Centre Wales</span> Convention Centre in Newport, South Wales

The International Convention Centre Wales is a 5,000-capacity venue in the city of Newport, South Wales. The venue has a main auditorium with fixed seating for 1,500 delegates, six rooms of exhibition space, and 43,000 square feet (4,000 m2) of pillar-free space. ICC Wales is located on the Celtic Manor Resort site which hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup and 2014 NATO summit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 2022 Commonwealth Games</span>

The venues for the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be based in Birmingham, Cannock Chase, Coventry, Royal Leamington Spa, Sandwell, Solihull, Warwick, Wolverhampton, and London.

References

  1. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  2. Labour Party Annual Conference – Online Application Archived 10 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Malcolm Miles (1997). Art, Space and the City: Public Art and Urban Futures . Routledge. pp.  115. ISBN   0-415-13942-2.
  4. "The Venue-Detailed Plans". The NEC Group. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to International Convention Centre, Birmingham at Wikimedia Commons