Citadel Building: Aston University

6,600sqm heritage refurbishment of a former multi-tenanted office building into a flexible, knowledge-sharing higher education hub in Birmingham

00 were appointed by Kinrise to complete the refurbishment of Citadel in Birmingham.

190 Corporation Street historically was the location of a Salvation Army Hall and over time, works behind, due to bomb damage and 80’s extensions, to the retained original Victorian façade have created ever more intricate and confusing layouts, level changes and splits within the building around the original octagonal hall.

00 worked closely with Kinrise to create a layout that was intuitive to navigate and also encouraged knowledge sharing and mixing between tenants around the redesigned octagonal atrium.  The atrium was designed to be a communal spill out space that allows a flexibility of tenant size offering opportunities for smaller companies to leverage knowledge and contacts from larger organisations. The base of the atrium was also redesigned as a modern version of the original Salvation Army meeting hall, providing a space for public events and meetings and extending the building’s networks into the community. This invitation to the community was also encouraged through a shared café / reception that mixes the wider community with the building’s community.

On completion, the building was acquired by Aston University to house the executive team, professional services, and Alumni Club, alongside the new Enterprise Hub – a flagship gateway for collaboration, enterprise, and creativity. The central atrium functions as a flexible event and meeting space, encouraging cross-disciplinary exchange between staff, students, alumni, and external partners while extending the university’s networks into the city.

Location: Birmingham, UK
Client: Kinrise
Design Development: 
Construction: January 2019 - January 2023
Floor area: 6,600 sqm
Awards: AJ Retrofit Award 2024 Finalist

Images courtesy of Kinrise

Thanks to Kinrise for use of imagery