Press Up Hospitality submits plans for The Dean Birmingham
Irish operator Press Up Hospitality Group and sister company Oakmount have submitted a planning application to Birmingham City Council after acquiring the Grade II* Listed Central Methodist Hall.
A landmark in Birmingham city centre, the building was completed in 1904 and has had many guises over the years, originally run by The Methodist Church up until 1991 and more recently as a live music destination as Que Club, which attracted musicians such as David Bowie, Daft Punk and Blur. The site has been vacant since 2017 and has unfortunately fallen into disrepair, now featuring as part of Heritage England’s At Risk Register.
Property developer Oakmount, alongside Todd Architects, hopes to transform this building into a hospitality and leisure destination. Plans for the scheme, to be operated by Press Up, include The Dean Birmingham – a 150-bedroom hotel with rooftop restaurant, gym and events space – as well as the restoration of the Central Hall into a 1,500-seat event space, and the addition of retail and hospitality units on the ground floor.
Todd Architects’ proposal sensitively extends and adapts the landmark, preserving many of its original features whilst allowing it to take its place at the heart of Birmingham’s cultural landscape. In refurbishing the Central Hall, the pulpit area will be redefined as a stage for visiting acts. Additional proposals include a traditional members’ club cocktail lounge and two external terraces with panoramic views across the city.
“The Central Methodist Hall offers the opportunity to mix the height of Victorian grandeur with a fresh and contemporary take on the modern hospitality offer,” says Seamus Lennon, Principal at Todd Architects. “Whilst it remains necessary to extend the building vertically to ensure the project is commercially viable, our proposals will see this is done sensitively and allow the full restoration of the Central Hall space.”
The proposed three-storey rooftop extension will be set back from the parapet and terraced backwards as the volume rises. A single-storey extension to the south will also be set back from the parapet, and above this a new restaurant with a pitched roof will match the form of the original. The new elements make reference to the qualities of the original building while utilising modern construction methods and material technologies.
Lennon concludes: “It’s a rare opportunity to contribute to the ongoing story of such an important cultural landmark as Birmingham Central Methodist Hall. Building on our growing portfolio of hospitality and leisure schemes throughout the UK as well as our specialist knowledge in the adaptive re-use of buildings, our proposal will deliver a high-quality hotel and leisure destination that will have a transformative impact on the immediate neighbourhood and support Birmingham City Council’s wider regeneration targets.”
The Dean is a design-led hotel brand operated by Press Up with locations in Dublin, Cork and Galway; the former opened in Dublin in November 2014 as part of a terrace of protected Georgian townhouses. Each location features signature spaces like Sophie’s Rooftop Restaurant and Terrace, a Power Gym, and a locally inspired art collection. The Dean Birmingham will be its first location outside the Republic of Ireland.
“The Central Methodist Hall is a unique landmark in Birmingham that deserves a new lease of life,” say Press Up. “Through careful and sympathetic restoration, we hope to celebrate the history of this building and create a destination encompassing a number of hospitality offerings for both locals and tourists alike.”
Oakmount and Press Up both form part of parent company McKillen Corporation, which is directed by Patrick McKillen Junior and encompasses a number of high-end leisure and hospitality businesses across Ireland, the UK and internationally, as well as companies that specialise in property development and fit-out projects.
