Paradise Lost (but “soon” to be re-established…again)

Paradise Place, Birmingham

Sadly the connection is nothing more challenging than “monochrome”.  I considered connecting with an abstract image of boats on the water, similar to lily pads, but since the area shown above in Birmingham is being redeveloped I thought there should be a tribute to this architectural irony.

Perhaps the 1960s and 70s planners and politicians thought that such brutalist concrete modernism was exactly what the public was looking forward to, hence continuing to use the word “Paradise” in the place name; a word which has been associated with the area since medieval times. Hilarious.  The “old” library in the background has already been replaced, but I’ll be sad to see the building go. I quite like the upside down wedding cake effect and it’s possible that refurbishing it at a much lower cost than building the new library would’ve been a smarter choice.  After all, what are we getting instead?  Less than iconic office buildings, although there will be much done to create better public spaces and some of the horrible roads in the area will be removed. So there could be an improvement, but the timescale of redevelopment, which will be completed by 2025-ish, means that people will have to put up with long term disruption in yet another area of central Birmingham. A case of Paradise postponed.

The photos below tell some of this ongoing story of change.  Some of the other chapters could include the various elements of the changes, eg effects of changes to pedestrian routes, re-routed bus services, new road layouts, demolition works, construction progress, opening ceremonies, media coverage, etc.

The “old” library, until recently just a thoroughfare. Now awaiting demolition.  (Any late returning books should be taken to the new library.)

Information about the changes and the pedestrian thoroughfare. No scheme completion dates mentioned, just the money being spent on it.

It’s currently a more pleasant to get around on foot and bicycle because the nearby roads, on what would normally be one of Birmingham’s main traffic clogged arteries, have been closed to motor traffic.

There is however a lot going on to create a new road junction.

The “old” and “new” libraries (left and right), with Alpha tower in the middle.  When will Beta and Gamma towers be completed?