Views of the BT Tower from the Library of Birmingham and 103 Colmore Row

If you go up to the Secret Garden in the Library of Birmingham, you will get views of the BT Tower from the north eastern corner. Orelle Restaurant at 103 Colmore Row also has views of the BT Tower (from the back). But you can't see it from the front facing balcony on the 18th floor (but can from the ground floor foyer near Newhall Street).

BT Tower from the Library of Birmingham

One of my many visits to the Secret Garden, at the Library of Birmingham on Level 7.

On the 13th August 2021. When they were putting up a new BT logo, only a T was visible. And scaffolding up to remove the crane on top of the tower. You can also see how far the BT Tower was from Three Snowhill and 103 Colmore Row.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bham%20skyline%20LoB%2013082021.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT%20Tower%20LoB%2013082021%20(2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The BT Tower seen on the 4th September 2021. This was after they had completed the new BT logo. Was a lot of scaffolding above at the time. But the crane scaffolding was coming down.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT%20Tower%2004092021%20(2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The BT Tower on the 13th August 2022. complete with new logo, and being crane-less. Was still some scaffolding on top.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT%20Tower%20SG%20LoB%2013082022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

BT Tower from 103 Colmore Row

On the 6th August 2022 the last weekend of Key the City, so a long wait in the foyer at 103 Colmore Row, to go up to the 18th floor balcony one last time. While sitting in the foyer at the back, a window out to Newhall Street had this view of the BT Tower. I only went on Saturday's, so never went to the 19th floor on a weekday, like some people did.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT%20Tower%20V103%20KTTC%2006082022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Views from Orelle Restaurant, taken on the 24th floor of 103 Colmore Row on the 8th October 2022. A north-westerly direction towards the Jewellery Quarter, looking up Newhall Street, as 103 Colmore Row shadowed below.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT%20Tower%20Orelle%20103CR%2008102022%20(1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT%20Tower%20Orelle%20103CR%2008102022%20(2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT%20Tower%20Orelle%20103CR%2008102022%20(3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown

The story behind the new BT Tower logo

During 2021, Birmingham We Are's regular photographers Elliott Brown and Daniel Sturley have occasionally been getting updates, everytime BT put up a "T" or a "B". Since at least March 2021, one side had a "T". The "B" didn't go up until August 2021 due to nesting peregrine falcons.

Between February and August 2021, the BT Tower in Birmingham on Lionel Street finally got the the new BT logos attached on both sides of the building.

The "T" on one side together with a circle was put up between February and March 2021. The "B" and the other "T" didn't go up until late August 2021.  This was due to nesting peregrine falcons.

The photography below was taken by Birmingham We Are's regular contributors Daniel Sturley and Elliott Brown.

 

6th February 2021

"Not for everyone" - workers spotted abseiling from the top of the BT Tower.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_5993b_BTTW.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley.

 

24th February 2021

From Edgbaston Reservoir, it wasn't particularly clear to see what they were doing up on the BT Tower but you could spot the BT logo on Three Snowhill from this vantage point.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Edg Res (Feb 2021) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

2nd March 2021

Pins are put in place for the circle of the logo and the "T" of BT. The "B" pins can just be seen.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_8793b_BTTW.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley.

 

21st March 2021

First blue circle of the logo and a "T" goes into place on one side of the building.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_1437b_BTTW.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley.

 

3rd April 2021

View from the train going past Birmingham Snow Hill Station. This side of the building at the time had a complete blue circle, but only visible pins for the "BT" logo.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower 03042021 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

17th April 2021

Still only a lone "T" can be seen from Hill Street near Birmingham New Street Station. With peregrine falcons nesting at the top, BT engineers couldn't return until late August.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower 17042021 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

21st April 2021

A close up view from the bottom of the BT Tower from Lionel Street. It's a long way up.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_4320b_BTTW.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley.

 

16th May 2021

Here's a view up the tower from Lionel Street in the Jewellery Quarter, near Ludgate Hill. It would be another three months before they got back up to finish the BT logos.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (May 2021) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown..

 

21st June 2021

View of the BT Tower from St Paul's Square with St Paul's Church. At the time, this side of the BT Tower still just had the blue circle.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/St Pauls JQ (Jun 2021) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

14th July 2021

The view of the BT Tower from Ladywood Middleway. Still just the lone "T" from the Ladywood view.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Lwd Mway 14072021.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

23rd July 2021

This view is as you come off the M6 motorway, Junction 6 at Spaghetti Junction  (Gravelly Hill Interchange) onto the Aston Expressway, A38(M).  On the skyline you could see The Mercian and the BT Tower (still without a visible "BT" at this point).

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Mercian AXSJ 23072021 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

27th July 2021

A view of the BT Tower from the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal near Ludgate Hill in the Jewellery Quarter.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2275b_BTTW.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley..

 

7th August 2021

Scaffolding goes up at the top of the BT Tower and there is now visible ropes from there to the bottom of the tower. Work finally resumes to finish replacing the BT Tower's logo.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_3839b_BTTW.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley.

 

13th August 2021

The Library of Birmingham reopens the Discovery Terrace (Level 3) and Secret Garden (Level 7) to visitors. It was now possible to see the BT Tower from both terraces. This view taken from the Secret Garden. The last time you would see the "T Tower" before the end of the month with Three Snowhill (which already had it's "BT" logos).

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower LoB 13082021 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

30th August 2021

In the last weeks of August, engineers returned to the BT Tower to attach the remaining letters to both sides of the building. Some of the scaffolding above had also been removed. This view taken from Great Charles Street Queensway.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower 30082021 (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

4th September 2021

A quick late afternoon visit to the Secret Garden at the Library of Birmingham, just before closing provides an opportunity to capture the BT Tower again from up high, now with the completed new logo.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower 04092021 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

 

11th September 2021

A view from the Isaac Tongue Junction in Northfield at Bell Hill. Near the A38 (Sir Herbert Austin Way and Bristol Road South) of The Bank (tower 2), The Mercian and the BT Tower. A distance of about 6 and a half miles for this photo. The new BT logo only visible on a zoom camera (not with the naked eye from that distance).

dndimg alt="Bank Mercian BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/The Bank The Mercian BT Tower Northfield 11092021.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown.

We hope you enjoyed this post from Birmingham We Are.

See all our wonderful Birmingham Gems at www.BirminghamGems.com  

 

Introducing The BT Tower, Birmingham: The tallest building in the City!

The BT Tower in Birmingham is located on Lionel Street in the Jewellery Quarter and still holds the record for the tallest building in the City. Built between 1963 and 1965, it was in operation by late 1966. Formerly known as the Post Office Tower or the GPO Tower. It is 152 metres high (499 ft). In recent years many of the dishes have been removed, as has the old BT logo.

BT TOWER, BIRMINGHAM

 

The BT Tower in Birmingham. It has been the tallest building in the City since it opened in 1966, taking the record from the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower (Old Joe). Other tall buildings have gone up and down in the last 55 years, but so far none of them have been higher than the BT Tower. There is also the issue with the flight paths in and out of Birmingham Airport.

Seen from various places within the City Centre, the BT Tower is also visible from the suburbs on the skyline.

The tower (having the equivalent of 24 floors) is not open to the public, so only BT staff are allowed to go up it.

At one point the tower was painted light brown, but this was changed in the early 2000s, and looks more white now. The BT logo on the top of the tower has changed over time. As of September 2020, the old BT logo has been taken down, but we are not sure when BT are going to put up their current logo.

The last of the satellite dishes were removed by 2012. Also during 2012, during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, they had a London 2012 banner on two sides of the tower.

Hopefully something will be done to the tower for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (if it goes ahead and isn't delayed by the 2020 pandemic).

 

Below gallery of photos taken over the years by Elliott Brown. 2009 to present.

2009

Earliest views from the Jewellery Quarter, and Great Charles Street Queensway.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Apr 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Apr 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (May 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (May 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2011

Zoom ins to the BT Tower as many of the dishes had been or were being removed from the top.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Oct 2011) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2012

Official logos for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralmpic Games.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (March 2012) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (March 2012) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (March 2012) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2013

Views from the Discovery Terrace at the Library of Birmingham.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Sept 2013) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Sept 2013) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Dec 2013).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2016

Was looking to see if I could see where the Peregrine falcon nests, but couldn't see it. Discovery Terrace views from the Library of Birmingham.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Jun 2016) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2018

Got this view below of the BT Tower and the red weather vane of the former Skin Hospital (on John Bright Street) from Holloway Circus near Suffolk Street Queensway during February 2018.

dndimg alt="BT Tower and Skin Hospital" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Skin Hospital (Feb 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The view from Stoneleigh Road in Perry Barr during early November 2018. Was close to the Birmingham City University demolition site (of what was supposed to be the Athletets Village for Birmingham 2022).

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Perry Barr (Nov 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2020

One of the last times seeing the old BT logo on the BT Tower. This was a month before lockdown. As seen from Ladywood.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Feb 2020).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The old BT logo is removed during August 2020.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Aug 2020) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Nothing left of the old BT logo by September 2020, other than a scar or ghost sign of what was left underneath.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower (Sept 2020).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower Newhall St 29092020.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

On the weekend of the 17th and 18th October 2020, a helicopter lowered the new BT logos into place onto Three Snowhill, on the Snow Hill Queensway and Livery Street sides. But as you can see on the 19th October 2020, the BT Tower still was without new logos (apprently they have them inside ready to go up). This view from St Chad's Queensway.

dndimg alt="Three Snowhill and BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Three Snowhill BT Tower 19102020.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

From 2nd November 2020. Perhaps my last views of the BT Tower before Lockdown 2 for a month or so. Great Charles Street Queensway view from the train leaving Snow Hill Station and another view from Legge Lane.

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower JQ 02112020 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="BT Tower" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BT Tower JQ 02112020 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

I hope you have enjoyed looking at the wonderful gallery of BT Tower photos above!

One day it will be nice to get permission from BT to go up to the top for photos, but at the moment that seems very unlikely for members of the public.

And while we are at it, can BT give us permission to go up to the top of Three Snowhill?

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown. Can be found on Twitter: ellrbrown.