S2 Ep 1 - Brutiful Birmingham

We’re back with Series Two! Tim and Kevin head to Birmingham to explore a city defined by industry, reinvention and the homeof Peaky Blinders, Black Sabbath and ELO. Over tea and biscuits with journalist and campaigner Mary Keating, they examine the fight to save theSmallbrook Ringway Centre, one of Europe’s longest modernist buildings and a rare surviving example of Birmingham’s post-war ambition. In the decades following the Second World War, Birmingham was radically reshaped by modern planning and the rise of the car. New roads, new civic buildings and bold architectural experiments transformed the city, reflecting a belief that modern design could deliver progress, efficiency and optimism. Today, many of these - particularly brutalist - buildings are under threat, dismissed as outdated or expendable. The Ringway Centre sits at the heart of this debate, raising the question of whether a city’s confidence can determine which buildings survive. Follow Brutiful Birmingham (@brutifulbirmingham) and Birmingham Modernist (@birminghammodernist) on Instagram. To view images from this episode, head to our Instagram page - @big_design_adventureAnd be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1)We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected] someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).   Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloudGuest: Mary KeatingBig Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.Executive Producer: Shelley KempAudio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk MediaMusic: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst) Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.