One Centenary Way, Birmingham

2025 RIBA West Midlands Award 
2025 RIBA West Midlands Project Architect of the Year Simon Pope

One Centenary Way, Birmingham
Howells for MEPC / Federated Hermes

Contract value: £113m
GIA: 35,517m²
Cost per m²: £3,358

One Centenary Way has turned a constraint into an opportunity. Built over the Queensway Road Tunnel in Birmingham, it is literally founded on thin air. More than just an office building, it is also a bridge, or more accurately, a series of bridges spanning across the tunnel. The story is amazing. It is a feat of architecture, engineering and construction, a truly collaborative effort, led by an ambitious and forward-thinking client.

Although a private building, it makes a significant public contribution, completing a key part of the Phase 2 Paradise masterplan to define the north-eastern edge of Centenary Square. Together with the Library of Birmingham, Repertory Theatre, Symphony Hall and the Exchange, it becomes part of a ring of buildings that give the square civic presence.

Defining the contraction of the pedestrian route that separates the adjacent Chamberlain Square from Centenary Square, One Centenary Way is instrumental in creating a sequence of public squares dotted through the city centre. In addition, it provides a large-scale public cycle hub and retail space on the ground floor, while an art piece commissioned from local artist Betsy Bradley graces the entrance hall.

On the facade, a bold structural idea is expressed in the steel exoskeleton. The architects, steel fabricator and structural engineers worked closely together from early on, assessing numerous options to meet the demanding site constraints: a structure that can only bear down on a few specific spots keeps the load to the perimeter, is long span and has a non-loadbearing core. The solution was a lightweight steel Vierendeel truss perimeter frame, supported by long-span trusses bridging the tunnel. The steel was fabricated off-site and delivered by lorry – the largest trusses were 38m long and weighed approximately 120 tonnes. The jury enjoyed the virtually column-free expansive internal office space, an unexpected benefit of the long-span perimeter structure and exoskeleton.

The expressed steel structure has a timeless quality. It feels both old and new, connecting through time to Birmingham’s modernist past. The composition of the facade is reminiscent of high modernism – an architectural style associated with energy-consuming, carbon-intensive materials, especially concrete, steel and glass. However, One Centenary Way turns this reading on its head. The steel is 97 per cent recycled content, fabricated in the UK using hydro-electric, wind, and biomass power, recyclable and with a structure designed for disassembly.

The Vierendeel truss meant rolled sections could be used rather than fabricated sections, saving 900 tonnes of embodied carbon. The use of concrete was minimised in the foundations and superstructure. The building is all electric, including heating, eliminating fossil fuels and benefiting from the decarbonisation of the national grid and the use of smart energy meters. Attention to detail is apparent throughout. Windows and internal linings are executed with precision and care.

This project was clearly complex to deliver. The very high-quality result is testament to project architect Simon Pope’s passion and skills in co-ordinating and organising a large design team from early on.

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RIBA Regional Awards 2025 sponsored by Autodesk, EH Smith, Equitone and Velux