Orion Building

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Orion Building**
Details	Answer
Height	90m (295 ft)
Built	2004- 2006
Floors	28
Where	Birmingham, UK
Type	Residential

The main tower of the Orion Building during the removal of scaffolding.

The Orion Building from ground level.

The Orion Building is a 90 metre (295 foot) tall high rise residential building under construction in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Construction of the tower began in 2004 with demolition of the previous building on the site. The original façade of this building is being kept to be incorporated into the design. The tower will have 28 floors and 5 basement floors when completed in 2006 and will house the city's first penthouse which will be sold for £1.6 million. The penthouse is located at the top of the tower.

The 200 apartments within the tower have been designed by John Rocha, the fashion designer, who claims it as a "fashion first".

The Orion Building was granted planning permission in 2001 however soon encountered problems. The original contractor, Carillon, fell out with Crosby Homes and construction on the site stopped. However, it restarted with Taylor Woodrow. The tower had also re-applied for planning permission as the number of floors increased.

The building was constructed in two phases with Phase 1 being the main tower. Phase 2 was attached to the building however is a lot longer and contains more apartments.

A light show is held on the tower even as the scaffolding and covers are being removed. The lights slowly change colour by blending into each other and are situated on the corner of the main tower.

The top part of the tower is a completely glass however it changes to strips of glass on a cladded wall which changes colour at various sections of the building.

The building is on Navigation Street which was in need of development after the completion of the Bull Ring Shopping Centre.

Phase 4 of the scheme is currently under construction with the ground being prepared for construction. The construction of two tower cranes is expected for construction and the facade of the previous building is to be retained and incorporated into the design like in Phase 3.

The tower's construction has been attacked by critics due to the visibility of the joinings of plates and seemingly unstraight windows.

Holloway Circus Tower is located on the same road.