Birmingham’s ever-changing skyline is a stark reminder that the city is constantly evolving. And as developments materialise across Brum, a number of iconic sights that have been part of the city’s fabric for decades could also soon see some huge changes.
Take Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery for example, a cultural gem which could be “reimagined” if a major project ends up going ahead. Elsewhere in the city, plans have been lodged to transform Birmingham Botanical Gardens – a move previously described as the “last chance” to save the historic attraction.
Nearby is Edgbaston Stadium, where a new hotel and stand could be built if plans are approved in the future. Here’s a look in detail at how the above three attractions, some of Birmingham’s most well-known and beloved, could change in the coming years.
READ MORE: Proposals to ‘enhance’ Birmingham’s flagship museum take ‘crucial’ step forward
1) Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Proposals to fully reopen and “enhance” Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery recently took an important step. The city centre museum closed back in 2020 for essential maintenance works but later partially reopened for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The museum and art gallery (BMAG) then reopened in phases in 2024 – but the majority of spaces in the attraction are still not in use. Birmingham City Council is now considering an ambitious project to fully reopen the museum, with a report saying previous repairs and maintenance “highlighted the need” for essential refurbishment works.
These would need to be undertaken to enable a full reopening, it continued. Cabinet members at the council therefore agreed in November to submit a ‘stage one’ bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund of £9m, which would go towards a total project in the sum of around £10m.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
(Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)
This could help support a full reopening and provide an opportunity to “reimagine and redisplay the museum so it is of relevance to contemporary audiences”. Coun Saima Suleman, cabinet member for culture, previously told the cabinet meeting: “Addressing these issues now is not only necessary to protect our cultural heritage but also to prevent further financial pressure on the council.
“Since the closure of BMAG, the council has been paying £420,000 annually to Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT} to compensate for lost revenue.” She added: “The opportunity to apply for £9m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund is crucial.
“It’s vital we preserve and enhance BMAG as a cultural cornerstone of our city.” The outcome of the council’s application would be brought back to cabinet to take a decision on a stage two submission within the “context of the council’s financial position at that time”.
2) Edgbaston Stadium
Plans were lodged in 2024 for a new hotel and stand at Edgbaston Stadium, home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club and its T20 team Birmingham Bears. The proposals, if approved, would see the current Priory and Raglan Stands replaced with a new 3,191 seat facility and a 146-bed hotel with views over the pitch.
The hotel would also have a coffee shop as well as a restaurant/bar, which would be open to the public on non-matchdays. According to those behind the proposed scheme, the plans are part of a larger planned redevelopment for the stadium, which aims to create a destination that combines “elite sport, conferencing and events” with community uses.
A CGI image of what the hotel at Edgbaston Stadium might look like
(Image: Warwickshire County Cricket Club)
A design document, included within a planning application submitted to the city council, said the hotel would provide a “one-of-a-kind pitch-side spectator and hospitality facilities” as well as a roof terrace that provided views of the Birmingham skyline. “In providing a new hotel for spectators and visitors to the area, the proposal hopes to bring new jobs and opportunities to the area,” it added.
Stuart Cain, Edgbaston chief executive, previously said: “Cricket will always stay at the heart of our thinking. “But it’s important we develop a stadium that brings new jobs to this part of the city and creates wider community opportunities through the hotel and an expanded conferencing and events business that sits alongside world class sport.”
3) Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Huge plans to transform Birmingham Botanical Gardens were described in 2024 as the “last chance” to save the historic attraction. The project would deliver a long-term sustainable future for the Edgbaston gardens, those behind the proposals said.
Four Victorian glasshouses would be restored to reflect their original form and adapted to serve “contemporary horticultural needs” if the plans are given the green light. According to a recently-submitted planning application, proposals also include a new visitors centre with a cafe and shop, a new central courtyard, a building for events, alterations to the existing car parking layout and more.
Sara Blair-Manning, CEO of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, previously said: “This is the last chance to save Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The gardens offer a rich, uniquely biodiverse natural environment, one mile from Birmingham city centre, and we know, through consultation, that they are hugely treasured by the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands.”
A visualisation of what Birmingham Botanical Gardens could look like.
(Image: Howells)
The gardens boast more than 10,000 plants across its 15-acre site. “The gardens need urgent and extensive restoration and repairs and are considered at risk by Historic England,” Sara Blair-Manning continued.
“A successful project will mean that the gardens can continue to connect people with culture, heritage and nature in a large urban metropolis.”