#2 SELFRIDGES

BULLRING STAIRWAY, BIRMINGHAM, UK

Selfridges Birmingham is not just a department store, it is a British landmark that has become an iconic part of the Birmingham skyline despite the fact that it was only completed in 2003.

Created by Future Systems, the building was designed with the aim to rethink the department store. The infamous building was quick to become one of the most talked about structures in the city and highlighted the social impact that the department store now plays in our consumerist society.

Selfridges Birmingham is part of the larger shopping mall, the Bullring, which underwent huge renovation as part of a movement of urban regeneration across the city.

Future Systems built the department store to have a fluid movement. The building billows up from the ground, resembling fabric, then cinches in like a waistline in the middle before expanding outwards in a curve to form the roof.

The façade is made up of thousands of aluminium discs which resemble the scales of a snake or sequins on a dress, which is fitting as Selfridges is known for its fashion outlets.

Each metal discs reflects changes in the weather and mirrors the movement of people and cars as they pass by, intensifying the sense of movement in the building.

Inside, the store maintains the classic Selfridges vibe which can also be found in the flagship store in London.  A large atrium floods light into the various levels which can be reached through a crisscross of escalators resembling a cat’s cradle.