Law firm seeks permission to convert its city centre base into a restaurant

LAW firm Sydney Mitchell looks set to capitalise on Birmingham city centre’s growing gastronomic offering by converting part of its offices to restaurant use.

It has applied for permission to change the use of the basement, ground floor and first floor of Grade II listed Apsley House in Waterloo Street and have a courtyard at the rear of the building converted into an outdoor seating area.

A design and access statement prepared by architects Webb Gray said the building was ideally situated to capitalise on what is fast-becoming a haven for foodies.

Pure Bar occupies former offices at the Victoria Square-end of Waterloo Street, while virtually opposite Apsley House is the new Michelin-starred Adam’s Restaurant. Viva Brazil is set to open on the corner of Bennett’s Hill on Friday and the Cosy Club in the former Midland Bank opened last year.

The design brief states: “The proposals include the incorporation of various new spaces across the first three floors of the building with the aim of providing a highly functional and hospitable environment.”

The new spaces (see below) are:
• Kitchen and associated kitchen storage space
• Main dining space
• Feature bar on each of the three floors
• Bar seating space on the basement and first floor levels
• Toilet facilities across all floors including accessible facilities on ground floor
• Seated waiting area adjacent the entrance lobby
• Private dining rooms on basement and first floor levels
• Bar storage
• Back of house facilities for staff

It added that the site was constrained by a lack of off-street parking but this was something other operators had to contend with as well.

“Internally, the layout has been dictated by a desire to open up the space and provide a dynamic and flexible environment that utilises the unique qualities of the existing building to maximise the experience for the visitor,” adds the brief.

“As such, the proposal rationalises the existing layouts of the first three floors of the building through the removal of several partitions. Central to the design is the creation of a new feature staircase at the heart of the building, facilitated by removal of a segment of the first floor.

“The aim is to utilise and expose the scale of the building to enhance the sense of grandeur that is embedded in this Grade II listed building, creating a unique sense of place that will complement the existing restaurant offers in the area.”

Above the first floor, the existing second and third floor offices will be retained to provide the option of maintaining an element of office use.

The brief concludes: “The proposals for this project aim to provide the option for the existing owner to change the use of the building from a commercial office to a restaurant, capitalising on its prominent location in the city centre and contributing to the continued growth of the city centre.

“The proposals demonstrate an effective balance between the aims set out by the client in the brief and a consideration for the heritage of the existing building, culminating in a scheme that utilises the significance of the current architectural qualities to create a scheme with commercial and social viability.”

The law firm has also submitted an application for listed building consent for the alterations.

Apsley  House dates back to 1831 when the original fields and orchards in the grounds of Bennetts Hill House were converted into a series of houses, banks and shops.

The law firm also has offices in Sheldon, Shirley and Sutton Coldfield.