Posts Tagged ‘ Rotunda ’

Rotunda

Those needing a bit of Brum-rooted punk rock could do nowt better than popping along to one of Rotunda’s upcoming gigs: Sound Bar – Nov 2nd The Adam and Eve – Nov 8th Scruffy Murphys – 13th Nov Subside – 16th nov The asylum – 27th Dec It almost counts as a tour.

What should go on top of the Rotunda?

The Rotunda was very well refurbished and looks great (apart from the flats where the tennants decide that behind their curtain is the best place to hide stuff – it’s a window people, we can see your washing). But the top hasn’t been finished. You may have seen the eye that was on a video screen, staring down the barrel of Digbeth High Street at the tyre campanille and the bad mural on the wall of the Irish Centre – well that was a trial for a planned 360 degree video screen. A trial that went well enough to become the “Rotunda LED Art Gallery” plan, I’m guessing. But not well enough to escape AWM cuts. It was where I originally envisaged the “Is Brum Happy” indicator should go. I’m guessing that’s not going to happen, so what should we put there? Anyone for the coke advert back?

Robert Vaughn to live in the Rotunda? The Man from B.R.U.M.C.L.E

Something to do with Hustle supposedly coming to Brum to film, he said: "my wife said 'you've got to find out where I'm going to live!' So tonight after the signings I'm going down to the Rotunda in the Bullring, which is apparently the best place for apartment-type living."

If you’ve ever fancied a BiNS T-shirt or mug or something, but couldn’t be bothered with the CafePress-ordering-from-the-US thing, you might like to know that we’ve got a new shop in the UK – fast delivery too, I bought an 11 bus hoodie for myself and it came in two days. So if you like, drift over to the B:iNS shop – we’ve got these lovely designs… We don’t make much — about £1 commission on each — so don’t feel obligated, but every little helps.

A few weeks ago I bought a T-shirt with the Rotunda on it, and unusually it wasn’t one I’d designed. It was from this ‘shop’ on Spreadshirt.net, quite expensive but pretty unique. Unique for how much longer, I don’t know – at least three people have stopped me while wearing mine and asked me where I got it. I can never remember, so if I put a link up here at least I can point them to BiNS. The shop does a fine range of Spaghetti Junction shirts too:

Councillor 2.0 Martin Mullaney extends his media empire with a new podcast, a great idea which is sort of “Moseley Island Disks”. Martin has a chat to a Moseleyite and plays their five favourite records. First victim is Colin Troth, who helped get the Rotunda listed and features as one of the stories in 21 Stories, the film, photo exhibition and book about the Rotunda we keep praising to high heavens (currently on show at the Three White Walls Gallery in the Mailbox). Download Link for those without Flash

Building Design Online (it rhymes, nice) Rotunda video

Building Design, a website for architects, has video of a lecture given about the refurb of the Rotunda by Nathan Cornish of Urban Splash and Glenn Howells of Glenn Howells Architects. More details here on the bd site:

I can see for miles, or you can

As part of the Climate Change Festival (nice stuff, but does it not sound a little like they’re celebrating climate change from the title) there’s a chance to go up to the top of the Rotunda this coming Monday (2nd June) with Nathan Cornish of Urban Splash. “an exclusive tour of the Rotunda which will include one of the penthouses, a duplex apartment and private terrace.” You gotta book (although given it’s in the middle of the work day, I can’t see it filling up) and you gotta book from here.

It’s big, it’s round, it never had a revolving restaurant at the top

I met Clive Dutton yesterday, he reminded me a bit of Jonathan Meades, which is a fine compliment for a city planner. I also met the architect of the Rotunda a wonderful man called James Roberts (pictured below), and briefly spoke to Chris Upton about beermats. The reason for this gathering of Brummie luminaries (and the excuse for my attendance) was the première of Nic Gaunt’s film ‘Rotunda: 21 Stories’, a ‘Towering Inferno’ for the psychogeographic Midlands. The film, also book, DVD and exhibition, found 21 stories about the Rotunda to match each of the 21 storeys of the building — you see what they did there? Clever. Some were deeply frivolous, me, Malcolm Stent doing a joke about Selfridges and hub-caps, ex-mayor Randall Brew XI claiming that “they’ll have to carry me out of Birmingham in a box” (didn’t know the lack of burial space had got that bad), and some were very serious; a number of takes on the Pub Bombings. Some of the stories come from James Roberts designer and architect father of the building: He reveals his thoughts on the original build — that it gained 5 floors almost a whim — and how pleased...

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Is Brum Happy?

Birmingham's emotional wellbeing* on Saturday 11th of February 2012 12:26: 57.8 % (average)

Posts Tagged ‘ Rotunda ’

Rotunda

What should go on top of the Rotunda?

Robert Vaughn to live in the Rotunda? The Man from B.R.U.M.C.L.E

Winter draws on

How to look good clothed

Mullaney FM

Building Design Online (it rhymes, nice) Rotunda video

I can see for miles, or you can

It’s big, it’s round, it never had a revolving restaurant at the top

@onBirmingham – Breaking Brum News on Twitter