Selfridges Birmingham is a landmark department store in the Bullring, designed by Jan Kaplický and Amanda Levete of Future Systems. Constructed between 1999 and September 2003, the six-storey, 14,864 m² (160,000 sq ft) building cost approximately £60 million. Its Blobitecture-inspired form is defined by a steel structural framework and sprayed-concrete façade, finished with almost 16,000 domed anodised aluminium discs that create its distinctive metallic carapace.
The project involved Ove Arup & Partners as structural and services engineer, with Laing O’Rourke as main contractor. In 2020, owner Hammerson appointed BAM to refurbish the exterior ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The intervention focused on the façade, involving the controlled removal, refurbishment and reinstatement of every aluminium disc, together with the installation of a new layer of high-performance insulation behind the cladding.
The complexity of the façade required precise control of the individual components. BAM used 3D point-cloud scanning and digital modelling to survey the existing geometry, while architectural metalwork specialist Structural Stairways implemented a QR-code identification system. Each disc was recorded during dismantling, allowing it to be traced and returned to its original position after refurbishment.
The works were carried out while the department store remained operational and pedestrian and transport routes around the Bullring remained active. A bespoke scaffolding strategy accommodated the building’s curved geometry while maintaining access to surrounding public areas and the nearby Moor Street bus stops. 
The refurbishment retained Selfridges’ defining aluminium envelope while upgrading the building’s thermal performance. With nearly 16,000 façade elements individually managed, the project demonstrates a technically rigorous approach to conserving a complex architectural skin while improving the performance of the existing building envelope.
Source: BAM with additional information added by Glass Balkan
