List of tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham


This list of the tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham ranks buildings and structures in the Metropolitan Borough of Birmingham by height.
Birmingham currently has five towers completed at a height of 100 metres or more and a further two towers above 100 metres under construction. At, this is the third highest number of high rises of any metropolitan area in the United Kingdom after Greater London and Greater Manchester.
The first structure to reach a height of 100 metres was the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower constructed in 1908 and located in the Bournbrook area of the city.
However, further high-rise development in Birmingham did not begin until the post war development of the 1960s and 1970s as a means to house a high number of residents in and around the city core. During this period two further high rise buildings over 100 metres were constructed - the 152 metre BT Tower which remains the tallest structure in Central Birmingham to this day and the 100 metre Alpha Tower.
High rise development slowed during the 1980s and early 1990s, with few significant proposals coming to fruition. However the turn of the 21st century saw a renewed interested in high rise buildings in Central Birmingham with numerous tall proposals being brought forward. The 122 metre 10 Holloway Circus became the tallest habitable building in Birmingham when completed in 2006 and helped to begin a coherent cluster with the nearby BT Tower and Alpha Tower developments. However due to economic factors and a conservative policy towards tall buildings from Birmingham City Council, the majority of these proposals failed to come to fruition with examples such as the 201 metre Regal Tower and the 200 metre VTP tower never being built.
Unlike some other cities in the United Kingdom, Birmingham has historically had a strict attitude towards approval of high rise buildings. One reason for this is due to the fact Central Birmingham is located on a 110 metre sandstone ridge and as a result, the Civil Aviation Authority has previously imposed a maximum building height limit at 242 metres. Typically, all proposed high rise buildings therefore need consultation with Birmingham airport and any proposed skyscraper over 175 metres need further consultation with the CAA.
This cautious attitude has again abated somewhat in recent years with a number of tall buildings approved centred mainly in two distinct areas of the city - Westside and Eastside. These approved developments will join the central business district in creating a number of tower clusters in the city and include the first four official habitable skyscrapers in Birmingham.
In the Westside of Central Birmingham the 132 metre The Mercian residential tower is currently under construction and will become the tallest habitable building in Central Birmingham when completed in 2022. This will be surpassed by the approved nearby 193 metre 100 Broad Street residential tower due for completion in 2024 which will overtake the BT Tower as the tallest building in the city. This tower will become the third tallest building in the United Kingdom outside London. Other significant developments in the Westside include the recently completed 102 metre The Bank Tower as well as the approved 117 metre 211 Broad Street and 100 metre Axis Square residential developments.
The Eastside of Central Birmingham will be home to the 155 metre approved One Eastside residential skyscraper due for completion in 2024. This tower will be joined by two more approved residential towers - the 123 metre tower in Glasswater locks and the 111 metre Exchange Square tower. However these two areas are not the only areas of Central Birmingham that will join the central core in significant developments moving into the 2020s. Digbeth will see a number of significant developments including the proposed 151 metre Irish Centre tower, the approved 113 metre Beorma Quarter residential tower as well as smaller developments including the proposed 98 metre Stone Yard tower.
Already home to a number of the city's tallest buildings, the central business district itself will also see a number of new developments in the coming years including the proposed 155 metre Octagon tower at the Paradise redevelopment site. If built the Octagon would become the world's tallest octagonal shaped residential building.
If all future proposals come to fruition, Birmingham will contain well over 125 buildings over 50 metres tall as well as 19 high rises above 100 metres and 5 skyscrapers above 150 metres. At, this is the third highest number of high rises over 100 metres in the United Kingdom either built, under construction or proposed after Greater London and Greater Manchester.
The Westside area of the city is the most prominent location for tall proposals with 5 either built, under construction or proposed, followed by the Central Business District and Eastside.

Tallest buildings and structures

This list ranks externally complete Birmingham buildings and free-standing structures that stand more than tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equals sign following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed. Buildings that have been demolished are not included.
RankNameUseImageHeight Height FloorsYearCoordinatesNotes
1BT TowerTelecommunication1524991966
210 Holloway CircusHotel/Residential122397392005
3The Bank Tower 2Residential102335332019
4Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock TowerClock Tower1003291908
5Alpha TowerOffice100328281973
6Orion BuildingResidential90295282007
7Clydesdale TowerResidential90295321972
8Cleveland TowerResidential90295321971
9Three SnowhillOffice90290182019
10The RotundaResidential81266231965
11Exchange Square 1 Tower 3Residential81266232019
12Aston Place Residential80262262019
13Tyseley Energy from Waste PlantChimney80262N/A1996
14Centre City TowerOffice76249211975
15Five Ways TowerOffice76249221979
16Hyatt RegencyHotel75246241990
17Two SnowhillOffice75246152013
181 Snow Hill PlazaHotel72236201973
19The CubeOffice/Residential/Commercial70.4231232010
20Londonderry HouseResidential/Car Park7023021
21Colmore GateOffice70230151992
22Quayside TowerOffice70230181965
23The McLaren BuildingOffice69226211972
24One Hagley RoadOffice69226191974
25The Bank Tower 1Residential68223222019
26Midland BuildingOffice67220171967
27Bank HouseOffice66217201967
28Brindley HouseMixed65213181967
29Fifty4 Hagley RoadOffice64210181976
30Hampton by Hilton Birmingham Broad Street - Cumberland HouseHotel64210181964
31Chamberlain Hall - The ValeStudent Accommodation64210212015
32Centenary PlazaResidential / Hotel63207202002
33Queen Elizabeth HospitalPublic Facility63207142010
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34Muirhead TowerUniversity62203151971
35Cobalt Square Office62203171965
36Holiday Inn Express Birmingham City CentreHotel61201182017
37St Martin in the Bull RingPlace of Worship61200N/A1855
38Trident HouseResidential61200191981
39Jurys InnHotel61200181975
40Library of BirminghamLibrary60197102013
41James Watt and William Murdoch ResidencesResidential60197182010
42Mary Sturge and Harriet Martineau ResidencesResidential60197182013
43University Locks Student Accommodation60197172016
44BriarleyResidential59194211966
45Churchill HouseResidential59194211966
46Windsor HouseOffice5919414
47Lloyd HouseOffice59194131964
48Lyndon HouseOffice5919417
4911 BrindleyplaceOffice59194132008
50One Centenary SquareOffice58190112018
51Park Regis Birmingham Hotel58190161964
52Church of St Peter and St PaulPlace of Worship58190N/A1480
53Barry Jackson TowerResidential58190201972
54Warstone TowerResidential57187201967
55One SnowhillMixed57187122009
56City Centre HouseMixed57187131965
57Pritchett TowersResidential57187201971
58Hodgson TowerResidential57187201971
59Sapphire TowerResidential57187201971
60Durham TowerResidential57187201970
61Studley TowerResidential57187201969
62Victor TowerResidential57187201969
63Century TowerResidential57187201968
64Holbrook TowerResidential57187201968
65Salisbury TowerResidential57187201968
66Brinklow TowerResidential57187201967
67Canterbury TowerResidential57187201967
68Wickets TowerResidential57187201967
69Wilmcote TowerResidential57187201967
70Three BrindleyplaceMixed55180131998
71HiveResidential54.5179152011
72The Colmore BuildingOffice54177142008
73Albany HouseMixed54177121962
74The LansdowneResidential53172182018
75Norfolk TowerResidential52171181971
76Eight BrindleyplaceMixed52171142002
77Exchange Square 1 Tower 2Residential52170162019
78AxisOffice5116712
791 Colmore RowOffice51167122004

Tallest under construction, approved and proposed

Under construction

Approved

Proposed

Un-built

This lists proposals for the construction of buildings in Birmingham that were planned to rise at least, for which planning permission was rejected or which were otherwise withdrawn.

Demolished

This lists buildings and structures in Birmingham that were demolished or are undergoing demolition and at one time stood at least in height.

Timeline of tallest buildings and structures

This lists free-standing structures that once held the title of tallest structure in Birmingham.
NameLocationYears as tallestHeight
FloorsReference
St Philip's CathedralColmore Row1725–1777 01.040 / 13103.0N/A
Church of SS Peter and PaulAston1777–1855 02.057.9 / 19004.0N/A
St Martin in the Bull RingThe Bull Ring1855–1908 02.061 / 20004.0N/A
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock TowerUniversity of Birmingham1908–1966 02.0100 / 32904.0N/A
BT TowerJewellery Quarter1966 – present02.0152 / 49804.0N/A