Hello, welcome to a comprehensive catalogue of my recent obsession: the mysterious canted corners of Digbeth [thread]
While canted corners exist in post-war industrial buildings all over the UK, their abundance in Digbeth is weird. Like Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza, the corners of Birmingham’s low-rise factory buildings are a source of wonder and bafflement. Who built them, and why?
While canted corners exist in post-war industrial buildings all over the UK, their abundance in Digbeth is weird. Like Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza, the corners of Birmingham’s low-rise factory buildings are a source of wonder and bafflement. Who built them, and why?
While canted corners exist in post-war industrial buildings all over the UK, their abundance in Digbeth is weird. Like Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza, the corners of Birmingham’s low-rise factory buildings are a source of wonder and bafflement. Who built them, and why?
Canted corners might provide some vehicle access, or an entrance outside of which workers could congregate before and after shifts. But most of them are bricked up or feature only windows. They might provide a place for signage and display, but many are staringly blank monoliths.
Anyway, this inconsistent usage suggests the access / display purposes seen in some buildings were more of a reaction to the form, rather than a driver of it.
The corners might have helped to ensure the buildings wouldn’t be obliterated by the turning circles of new lorries. But the roads in the area were already being widened in the 1950s to help with this, so canted corners seem like overkill.
They were not the outcome of a single masterplanner, either. There’s no evidence the Council influenced their design, nor a single landowner, and there were no detailed guidelines for rebuilding Digbeth after WW2. Also, most businesses would have had their own in house architects
The fact this design was not the outcome of any sole person suggests a kind of vernacular, albeit one not informed by any discernible function. The canted corners of Digbeth are a key feature of its character, and should be at least acknowledged by any future proposals.
If anyone has any cool thoughts about this, please let me know as I’m writing my thesis on Digbeth and would be intensely interested in reading them. Also, please find a canted corner catalogue of Digbeth below for your perusal.
60-69 Glover Street / Adderley & Glover Street / 37 Adderley Street / 148 Adderley Street
60-69 Glover Street / Adderley & Glover Street / 37 Adderley Street / 148 Adderley Street
60-69 Glover Street / Adderley & Glover Street / 37 Adderley Street / 148 Adderley Street
60-69 Glover Street / Adderley & Glover Street / 37 Adderley Street / 148 Adderley Street
60-69 Glover Street / Adderley & Glover Street / 37 Adderley Street / 148 Adderley Street
77 Upper Trinity Street / Heath Mill Lane & Bromley Street / Progress Works pts. 1 & 2
77 Upper Trinity Street / Heath Mill Lane & Bromley Street / Progress Works pts. 1 & 2
77 Upper Trinity Street / Heath Mill Lane & Bromley Street / Progress Works pts. 1 & 2
77 Upper Trinity Street / Heath Mill Lane & Bromley Street / Progress Works pts. 1 & 2
77 Upper Trinity Street / Heath Mill Lane & Bromley Street / Progress Works pts. 1 & 2
Great Barr Street & Little Barr Street / 119 Glover Street
Great Barr Street & Little Barr Street / 119 Glover Street
Great Barr Street & Little Barr Street / 119 Glover Street
191 Fazeley Street / 90 Floodgate Street / 114 Floodgate Street / Same building from end of Moore’s Row
191 Fazeley Street / 90 Floodgate Street / 114 Floodgate Street / Same building from end of Moore’s Row
191 Fazeley Street / 90 Floodgate Street / 114 Floodgate Street / Same building from end of Moore’s Row
191 Fazeley Street / 90 Floodgate Street / 114 Floodgate Street / Same building from end of Moore’s Row
191 Fazeley Street / 90 Floodgate Street / 114 Floodgate Street / Same building from end of Moore’s Row
70 Bordesley Street / 141 Fazeley Street / 1-6 Pickford Street / 25 Trent Street
70 Bordesley Street / 141 Fazeley Street / 1-6 Pickford Street / 25 Trent Street
70 Bordesley Street / 141 Fazeley Street / 1-6 Pickford Street / 25 Trent Street
70 Bordesley Street / 141 Fazeley Street / 1-6 Pickford Street / 25 Trent Street
70 Bordesley Street / 141 Fazeley Street / 1-6 Pickford Street / 25 Trent Street
71-77 Coventry Street / 66 Coventry Street / 70 Fazeley Street / 42 New Bartholomew Street
71-77 Coventry Street / 66 Coventry Street / 70 Fazeley Street / 42 New Bartholomew Street
71-77 Coventry Street / 66 Coventry Street / 70 Fazeley Street / 42 New Bartholomew Street
71-77 Coventry Street / 66 Coventry Street / 70 Fazeley Street / 42 New Bartholomew Street
71-77 Coventry Street / 66 Coventry Street / 70 Fazeley Street / 42 New Bartholomew Street
30-31 Allison Street / same building from Meriden Street
30-31 Allison Street / same building from Meriden Street
30-31 Allison Street / same building from Meriden Street
There are two examples of pre-war canted corners at 111 Fazeley Street and 51-81 Liverpool Street. Also a few more modern examples at 42 Allcock Street and the block bounded by Great Barr Street/Glover Street/Palmer Street.
Cheers to Bayer, Herring, Lane & Roethe for writing the Digbeth and Deritend, Birmingham, West Midlands: Outline Historic Area Assessment report that got me hooked on this mystery in the first place. Defo recommend a read, pdf is available online.
You can follow @OllyTheMod.
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