You won’t find another cafe anywhere else quite like it – nor one where the exterior has just become so sparklingly clean.
The nearly all-glass Costa Coffee shop in Brindleyplace was given a secret jet wash when the Westside square was all but deserted on the night that England beat the Netherlands in the semi-final of Euro 2024.
The timing meant that only the guys using a cherry picker to blast the dirt off the award-winning cafe roof were in danger of getting wet. You cansee the action in our video here:
And it was in good time for the neighbouring installation of a giant screen at the car park end of Central Square that is showing the Olympics from Paris until they end on Sunday 11 August.
The Costa Coffee venue is still incredibly futuristic looking, despite being 27 years old after its creation in 1997 by CZWG Architects.Although measuring just 14m x 7.6m it was named the ‘building of the year’ in the 1998 Royal Fine Art Commission awards.
The official CZWG description describes it as an “eye-shaped glass and steel building at the centre of a radial pattern of York stone paving, within an intensive landscape of semi-mature trees, sculpture, a large water feature and shaped grassed areas”.
The proud description continues: “Its own structure is also sculptural, consisting of tubular steel frame that is completely glazed. Vertical structural columns are continuous with roof members and cross over at the ridge to form canopies which mirror the footprint of the building.”
Several months’ work to improve Central Square’s drainage around the cafe saw the area being dug up three years ago before completing in June 2021.
Talking of Click here to see our video story from mid-October last year showing how life was getting steamy every night for two weeks for the bricks of the giant building at No 5 Brindleyplace.
Brindleyplace itself was created by Argent, who acquired the derelict land in 1993. Today, the estate has more than one million square feet of office space across all 11 buildings.
Brindleyplace diary dates
Brindley Eats: the lunchtime season has two more ‘second Wednesday of the month’ dates from 11.30am til 2.30pm in Central Square – 14 August and 11 September.
Brindley Market: this additional monthly event will continue from 11.30am til 2.30pm on the last Thursday of the summer months – 29 August and 26 September.
Pictures and video for Westside BID by Graham Young
ENDS
