Citadel Building

The site has an eclectic history, with the buildings having served as a base for congregation for the Salvation Army for more than a Century, a Victorian pub, and 1950s pharmacy. London-based developer Kinrise, which specialises in restoring heritage buildings, obtained the building in 2021 with the goal of creating one of the city’s most desirable and sustainable workplaces.

The project creates state-of-the-art flexible workspaces within the heritage context, retaining the existing structure while reimagining the use, circulation, and increasing the total internal floor area. Webb Yates Engineers were appointed by the client to provide structural expertise to Architecture 00’s design.

Local craftspeople and sustainably sourced materials were employed throughout the renovation, ensuring the building’s carbon footprint remains low and contributes to Birmingham’s local economy, whilst saving carbon emissions and reducing waste. The space is to be net zero in operational carbon.

With the continued life of the building, a modern yet historically sensitive space is created; a space which encourages a communal culture through social and collaborative workspaces, and welcomes the wider community through areas for events and street facing retail. In addition to preserving the city’s heritage, the reuse of the building saved 2000 tonnes in embodied carbon, compared to demolition and new build.