The Cube (building)

The Cube is a 25 storey mixed-use development in the centre of Birmingham, England. Designed by Ken Shuttleworth of MAKE Architects, it contains 135 flats, 111500sqft of offices, shops, a hotel and a 'skyline' restaurant. It is the final phase of The Mailbox development.The site is enclosed by The Mailbox complex, Commercial Street, Washington Wharf apartment complex and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.HistoryPlanning historyAs the final stage of The Mailbox development, Birmingham Development Company Ltd. decided to organise a design competition for a building on the site. The winning design was submitted by Birmingham-born architect Ken Shuttleworth of MAKE Architects.Plans for The Cube were first submitted to Birmingham City Council's Planning Department on 31 August 2005 for outline planning permission. A six-week public consultation stage was implemented immediately, and the planning application received outline planning permission from the Planning Committee on 7 February 2006.On 17 May 2006, a reserved matters planning application was submitted to Birmingham City Council, the submission of reserved matters for design, external appearance and landscaping relating to the erection of two buildings. One in the form of a cube incorporating a mix of uses to include car parking, retail, restaurant, office, residential, boutique hotel and skyline restaurant, and one plant building in accordance with the application. Full planning permission was granted by the Planning Committee on 7 August 2006.