The early bird catches the worm.
And so it was that amateur photographer Louise Panayides captured this delightful early morning image of a Grade ll-listed building on Westside that was recently restored and reinvented.
Louise’s photo is of The Exchange, the former Municipal Bank which sits opposite the Library of Birmingham on Centenary Square.
The disused building was bought by the University of Birmingham in 2018 after lying empty for nearly 20 years, before being transformed into an ‘engagement, knowledge and skills hub’ at the heart of Westside.
Louise’s photo of The Exchange can now be seen in Westside Business Improvement District’s 2022 calendar, representing the month of September.
The picture also adorns Westside’s home page for the rest of this month.
Louise, aged 46, who began her own digital marketing agency, EDGE Creative, 18 years ago, said: “I had a business awards dinner on Broad Street last November and thought I would get up really early the next morning.
“Photography has been a hobby of mine for about ten years as it helps to keep me creative, so I decided to walk down Broad Street at around 7am with no-one about.
“The light was really lovely as the sun was just coming up. The ice rink was there in Centenary Square at the time, so I went up the stairs of the rink to get some height.
“The Exchange is a nice iconic building for Birmingham to have and I thought my picture was worth entering into Westside’s competition.”
Louise, who lives in Solihull, said she was pleased to learn that her photo would be included in the BID calendar.
Along with the other monthly winners, she received £75 worth of vouchers to spend in selected venues on Westside, as well as copies of the calendar.
The original Birmingham Municipal Bank opened after the First World War as a means for people of the city to rebuild their lives. The existing structure was built by Neville Chamberlain and opened in 1933 by Prince George.
Restoration work by the university included work on the main entrance together with a new glazed façade. The Exchange combines interactive public exhibitions, professional development, entrepreneurship and research.
Main picture: the September page in Westside BID’s 2022 calendar
