The new Air Traffic Control Tower at Birmingham Airport is crowned "Project of the Year"

Christopher White of CPMG and Will Heynes of Birmingham Airport with the two RICS awards
at the new Birmingham Airport Air Traffic Control Tower

  Birmingham Airport’s new Air Traffic Control Tower has been crowned "Project of the Year" and

won a further award for the best "Regeneration" scheme at the 2013 RICS West Midlands Awards

The Airport received the two awards at a ceremony held on Wednesday 1 May 2013 at

The National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, where the West Midlands’ most impressive

property schemes battled it out for an industry "Oscar"

The prestigious annual contest celebrates inspirational initiatives in the land, property and

construction sectors, and has recognised the important part that the Airport’s developments

play in supporting the region’s economy

   

The highly acclaimed "Project of the Year" title is presented to the scheme which demonstrates

overall outstanding best practice. The Air Traffic Control facility at Birmingham Airport triumphed

over what the panel of eight judges described as extremely tough competition, winning not only

the overall title but also the "Regeneration" category

  

 The stunning seven storey structure stands at 34 metres and has been an ambitious project in

construction terms. Having been constructed without a supporting steel frame, it is one of the

tallest un-stayed control towers in the UK. The tower’s strength and stability comes instead from

a slip form concrete process, which involved the project team pouring concrete continuously

for ten days while the cab was prefabricated off-site and installed

Receiving the award on behalf of Birmingham Airport, Will Heynes, the Airport’s Development

Director, said: "We’re honoured to have won these two awards. The new ATC tower is a
significant and vital investment that supports our vision to provide the Midlands with global

connectivity, and a facility where airlines choose to operate and passengers prefer to fly from

"It has rejuvenated the western part of the airfield and is an impressive, modern and iconic

landmark for Birmingham that has triggered further development projects at this part of the site,

helping to create new jobs and play a vital role in supporting the economic success of Midlands"

   

The new ATC Tower went into service on Wednesday 17 April 2013

  Opened just in the last few days, the new ATC tower is equipped with state of the art radar

and navigation equipment and gives Controllers better views of the airfield, above buildings

that have been developed over the last few years. It will also allow them to see the end of

the extended runway, a development that will be complete in early 2014 and will allow

airlines to fly to more long haul destinations worldwide

Commenting on the facility, Chair of the RICS West Midlands Awards judging panel 

Roger Stone, a Chartered Surveyor and Land Agent, said: "Birmingham Airport’s Air 

Traffic Control tower ticked all the boxes for the RICS judges. This iconic building is 

part of a scheme that will bring business people to Birmingham and the West Midlands 

from parts of the world that we currently do not serve. The state-of-the-art control tower 

is at the centre of on-going works that will provide a huge economic boost for the region"

   

 Chris White, Group Director of CPMG, the project’s architects, said: "We’re delighted that

the Birmingham Airport Air Traffic Control Tower has received this prestigious award, we

are extremely proud of this iconic building which will be a significant part of the skyline

for many years to come"

The new £10 million tower, which was built by Morgan Sindall, has replaced the previous

79ft facility in the Elmdon building that has been in use since 1939 when the original airport

terminal opened. The project will now automatically be entered into the national RICS Awards,

where they will compete against other leading projects from across the UK later this year

  

Thursday 2 May 2013