The Old Fire Station (Birmingham)

 student accommodation, Grade II Listed (UK)

Lancaster Street Fire Station was the Central Fire Station for Birmingham. Constructed in the 1930s, the large building evidenced forward thinking as fire services across the county were merged into one service which was headquartered at this building.

The building has a triangle-footprint and inner courtyard, accessed through a tower at the southernmost corner. Fire engines were housed in the western wing of the building, with offices above. To the southeast, there are retail units, which mostly lie empty, and accommodation above for fire station staff. The eastern apex features a drill tower used for practise. The northeast wing also contains accommodation and offices, and is thought to have been intended to have been temporary or a victim of cost cutting due to the lack of design features found elsewhere in the building.

In the early 2000s, West Midlands Fire Service expressed their intention to vacate the site for a new purpose-built facility in Duddeston. They moved out in 2006, at which point development plans were drawn up for the Grade II listed building. Plans were initially published for a 50 storey skyscraper situated in the inner courtyard of the building, designed by Kinetic AIU architects of Birmingham, however these plans came to nothing.

The building was sold to Watkin Jones Group, a contractor and developer. It has since been converted into student accommodation, operated by Fresh Student Living.
freshstudentliving.co.uk/property/the-old-fire-station/

The Old Fire Station, Aston St, Birmingham B4 7DE