Report - Five Ways Tower, Birmingham - October 2017

[BrainL]

The Explore
Roof-topping really isn't my thing and only ever been up one tower like this, funnily enough just over the road from Five Ways. Have to say though I did quite enjoy this one, the views were great but I'm not keen on heights so I was pretty nervous even looking over the edge.. Not a chance I'd have sat on the edge like my mate @redhunter did.. I begged him to get his legs back over haha

The History
Five Ways Tower is a 23 storey commercial building on a 2.1-acre (8,500 m2) prime site located in the Birmingham City Centre by the corner of Frederick Road and Islington Road, near to the Five Ways roundabout and close to Five Ways Station, at the gateway to the Edgbaston area of Birmingham 15, England. The building was completed in 1979.

Several hotels expressed interest in acquiring the building from its owners, since its solid concrete design could be converted into a business class hotel.

The building is vacant due to the last tenants evacuating the building due to ill health amongst the workforce. It turned out that the building suffers from Sick Building Syndrome, and being expensive to refurbish to modern standards a likely option is demolition in line with the regeneration of the surrounding area.

The building has in excess of 100,000 sqft of existing net office space, six lifts, basement storage, and a double height floor at the top. The building has a carpark for approximately 200 cars allocated to the Tower.

Heres a video I made as well.. dont worry, its not a vlog, the word "guys" isn't used once and its only 90 seconds long!

 

[urbanchemist]

Liked the views and the video - all videos should be 90 secs long with drone footage!

 

[BrainL]

Liked the views and the video - all videos should be 90 secs long with drone footage!

Cheers mate, I've only ever done a few videos and all are only very short, cant bear these vlog style videos lately

 

[Tom Rudd]

looks awesome, but how did you get in? building like that surround by houses and other open buildings cant be easy to get into, seems like the sort of thing thats well boarded up. id love to get in but dont want to break anything to get in, if i have to break something to get in, i dont get in. even if its just a piece of wood.

 

[BrainL]

looks awesome, but how did you get in? building like that surround by houses and other open buildings cant be easy to get into, seems like the sort of thing thats well boarded up. id love to get in but dont want to break anything to get in, if i have to break something to get in, i dont get in. even if its just a piece of wood.

Never broke anything to get in here... theres always ways if you look hard enough and willing to put some effort in

 

[J4M35_UK]

Great work - That's how all exploring videos should be

 

[little_ boy_explores]

When i went it was empty, still is... also is this a permission visit just saying that because the lights on.

 

[BrainL]

When i went it was empty, still is... also is this a permission visit just saying that because the lights on.

Nope, it would say in the title if it was a permission visit.. think just the ground floor had a few emergency lights on, certainly no power or anything to the rest of the building

 

[expedition]

I went here not long ago and EVERYTHING was boarded up. I'm surprised you got in, to be fair.

 

[Eight-Seven]

Yeah same here. Got hounded out by security on my last attempt. Have security packed up and left now?

 

[BrainL]

Yeah same here. Got hounded out by security on my last attempt. Have security packed up and left now?

Security still check it, they were there when I went but they didnt spot us and we managed to get out without them noticing

 

[Rhymenoceros]

Tried this for the first time alone around 5am a few weeks back after spending a good hour on top of Beneficial House wondering what to try next. Ventured around the perimeter for a good twenty minutes looking for an entrance before climbing through a sharp wired fence that had been pulled back, only to end up in the maze that is the car-park.

The thing was, the bottom segment of the car-park was all lit up, yet the ones above were all dark, dingy and abandoned, unfortunately that's where I ended up before accepting defeat after walking around in what felt like circles for a good half an hour. If any people see a sock on one of the sharp corners: 1) Yes that is my sock & 2) Don't go in there as it's a dead end. If you DO go in, use it wisely, that's if you want your gonads and clothes in one piece at the end of it.

Persistence is key with this one. I'd do things differently, maybe a tight corner you never thought you could get down might herald a door at the end of it
Maybe next time! Cool pics & vids by the way

 

[Bando Exploration]

I went in 5 ways tower September 2020 and i managed to get despite the alarms

 

[Bando Exploration]

Security still check it, they were there when I went but they didnt spot us and we managed to get out without them noticing

Same here security spotted us but never did anything despite the alarms wailing

 

[scrappy]

Love this one, would go up here for dinner with the girlfriend if we were about.