The Cube Birmingham

Jake Davies

The Cube is a new development in central Birmingham that unsurprisingly is in the shape of a cube.

It is a multi-use property that includes retail, offices, apartments, a hotel, bowling alley, and a roof top restaurant bar.

The Cube, Birmingham, England, UK. — The distinctive appearance of The Cube in central Birmingham

The Cube is adjacent to the Birmingham & Worcester Canal. — The Cube is adjacent to the Birmingham & Worcester Canal and is seen here from Gas Street Basin

Design

The main structure is a perfect cube with sides measuring 174 ft. It was designed by Ken Shuttleworth of Make Architects. Shuttleworth was born and raised in Birmingham, and while a partner of Norman Foster was involved in the design of the famous Gherkin in London.

The structure was designed to appear like a jewelry box. The exterior design incorporates features of Birmingham's industrial history of large-size metalworking as well as watchmaking and jewelry.

The Cube, Birmingham is another innovative piece of architecture. — The Cube, Birmingham is another innovative piece of architecture in the city centre's redevelopment

The exterior arranges the windows and alloy cladding into a series of grid-based blocks that appear random. In some ways it looks like a very blocky, early computer game like Tetris.

However, on one face the surface has openings that increase in scale the higher up the building and this allows a lot of natural light into what is in effect a central atrium.

Services

A wide range of retail shops and a few eateries occupy the first two floors. Above that are 10,000 square meters of offices with 135 flats above that.

The top floors include the Hotel Indigo Birmingham with a gym and spa, more restaurants and bars, and great views across the Birmingham skyline.

From the roof of The Cube looking down into the atrium. — From the roof of The Cube looking down into the atrium

Information & Hours

196 Wharfside Street
Birmingham B1 1RN
Tel: 0121 654 9400

The Cube is 10 to 15 minutes on foot from New Street Station or 20 minutes from Snow Hill Station.

Other standout buildings in Birmingham include the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Selfridges Birmingham, the city's most iconic piece of modern architecture.

Looking up at the atrium in The Cube. — Looking up at the atrium in The Cube

Accommodation

There are places to stay to suit all budgets in Birmingham.

At the top end try the Clayton Hotel Birmingham or the Jurys Inn on Broad Street.

See a list of hotels in Birmingham.

Access - Getting to Birmingham

Birmingham New Street Station, right in the city centre, is Birmingham's main station with trains to Manchester Piccadilly in Manchester, Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.

There are local train services from Snow Hill and Moor Street stations to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Worcester and Malvern.

Long distance National Express buses run nationwide from the bus station in Digbeth.

City transport in Birmingham is good and getting better with the Midland Metro a light rail system connecting Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich, Bilston and Wednesbury.

Centro organizes and co-ordinates the transport network in the West Midlands which includes the Midland Metro, buses and trains. Eventually the SWIFT smart card will be valid over the whole network.

Birmingham Airport, formerly Birmingham International Airport, is just over 5 miles south east of the city centre and offers both domestic and international flights. Birmingham International Station serves the airport and is just 10-15 minutes from New Street. There are buses to the airport from Birmingham city centre, Coventry, Erdington and Solihull.

Compare prices and rent a car in Birmingham