SNEAK PEAK: Birmingham New Street & Grand Central in 2014, one year before officially reopening.

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(14).jpg" />

I was lucky enough to have been given a sneak peak a year or so before the Queen officially reopened the station in 2015.

The five year, £750m redevelopment of Birmingham New Street was one of the UK’s largest and most complex redevelopment projects in recent times.

It involved integrated refurbishment of the busiest interchange station in the UK - 43 shops at concourse level and the new Grand Central shopping complex above, housing one of the UK’s largest John Lewis department stores.

The station is now three-and-a-half times bigger than the dingy station it replaced.

Work started from the top down, which involved huge complex engineering feats.

6,000+ tonnes of reinforced concrete were removed, all done above a live operational rail station to oblivious commuters.

This included the roof of Pallasades Shopping Centre (4,000 tonnes), with 2,000 of that making up the floor that previously made up the ceiling of the concourse.

The station is now bathed with natural light for the first time in a generation.

With DSLR cameras prohibited, all photos were taken on a rather dodgy 2014 smartphone. Enjoy the throwback!

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(30).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(10).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(20).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(4).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(2).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(22).jpg" />dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(9).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(11).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(21).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(12).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(16).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(17).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(6).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(5).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(8).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(29).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(18).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(24).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(19).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(7).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(13).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(26).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(15).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(28).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(1).jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/New%20Street%20Tour%20-%20June%2024th%202014%20(3).jpg" />Pictures by Stephen Giles

A YEAR LATER...

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/22753980479_e2e8407563_b.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Metrogogo

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/karl%2001.jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/karl%2002.jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/karl%203105.jpg" />Karl Newton

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/DSC_5935.jpg" />Garry Morris

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/IMG_2189b_Brum.jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/IMG_8160b_RTND.jpg" />Daniel Sturley

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/34612255591_fb0be6e332_o.jpg" />Stephen Giles

Words by Stephen Giles, with picture contributions from Garry Morris, Metrogogo, Karl Newton & Daniel Sturley.

We're also on Instagram: @Itsyourbirmingham