GALLERY: Inside the Octagon – Birmingham’s tallest building

Two months on from completion at Birmingham’s skyline-shaping Octagon tower, the first residents are now moving in to the tallest residential building in the city.

Brummies and visitors alike have watched progress keenly as the 49-storey structure rose out of the city’s Paradise regeneration scheme over the past three years.

And while the building’s angular eight-sided looks have often divided opinion, its impact on the city’s skyline is undeniably striking.

The tower’s signature octagonal floorplates, designed to maximise natural light and deliver panoramic views across the city, offer sweeping vistas stretching from the city centre to the Lickey Hills — with progress now completed on internal layouts, communal areas and the dramatic double-height entrance lobby.

The tower stands at the heart of the ongoing Paradise regeneration, one of the largest city-centre redevelopment projects outside London.

The £1.2bn scheme is transforming the area between Centenary Square and Chamberlain Square with new public spaces, offices, retail and leisure, reshaping the civic core of Birmingham. The Octagon forms a key residential anchor within the masterplan, complementing completed phases such as One Chamberlain Square and Two Chamberlain Square.

Developed by MEPC and designed by Glenn Howells Architects, The Octagon houses more than 360 apartments, each benefiting from a corner aspect thanks to its unique geometric form.

As the first occupiers began moving in in earnest following the buildings handover in mid-September, Place Midlands got a look inside the city’s newest addition, offering the clearest look yet at life inside one of the UK’s most ambitious residential towers.

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