Friday Photo: 128 New Street

I took this week’s Friday photo of one of my favourite buildings in Birmingham city centre, as it is undergoing a transformation. Number 128 New Street is a grade II-listed building and was built in 1867-69 as the head office of the Birmingham Midland Bank. One of the first Midland Bank branches in the country, it was designed by the architect Edward Holmes; who also designed, amongst other things, All Saints church in Kings Heath.

It is a classical palazzo style design, the grand entrance of the building is on the New Street facade (regrettably un-photographable due to the arrival of a rather large Christmas tree!), it’s porch of coupled Ionic columns and first floor coupled Corinthian pilasters, clearly show the 2 storeys of the main original banking hall. In the photo above you can see the 5 storey extension to the Stephenson Street facade which was added in 1875.

The building was subsequently turned into Dillons bookshop, later re-branded as a Waterstones. For this, a staircase and mezzanine balcony were added in the 1990s. The building ceased trading as a Waterstones last week and is due to re-open as an Apple store after some needed restoration.