Canal-side at The Mailbox

Pebble Mill changed the face of daytime TV with programmes like Pebble Mill at One and Good Morning with Anne and Nick.

Set in the heart of the city centre, BBC Birmingham's new home at the Mailbox is part of a development which houses hotels, shops, restaurants and bars in a canal-side setting, with a public walkway running through it.

Moving into the 21st Century...

BBC staff workspace Take a look around BBC Birmingham's new home Picture Gallery

Where Pebble Mill has corridors, the Mailbox has gondolas (the industry term for overhead walkways). Where Pebble Mill has photocopiers sandwiched between desks, the Mailbox has resource oases, housing photocopiers, faxes, vending machines and kitchen areas in one.

The Mailbox is modern and compact compared to Pebble Mill's clunky historic building and light years ahead in terms of innovation and creative space.

State of the art ...

BBC Birmingham's new home is undoubtedly a smaller space than Pebble Mill. However to avoid a call centre feel, areas are colour-coded and corridors have Birmingham street signs such as Corporation St for ease of identification.

BBC staff chill out space Take a look around BBC Birmingham's new home Picture Gallery

BBC Staff members have helped design seven chill-out spaces throughout the 100,000 sq/ft open plan space which range from a 50's American diner to a Japanese Zen garden.

Floor to ceiling windows let in light and breathtaking views of the canal areas outside.

Radio drama at the Mailbox ...

The radio drama studio, home to the Asian Network's Silver Street and The Archers, is state of the art. The studios with sci-fi like grey padded foam walls allow characters to seem very far away when they're not and vice-versa.

Die-hard fans of The Archers wont notice a difference now they're based in new modern studios. When Jill Archer knocks on the door or Eddie Grundy goes up the stairs will still sound the same.

Your BBC, Your Space ...

BBC public space at the Mailbox

Visitors to the public space can leave messages for the radio presenters currently on air and peer into the radio studios. Giant plasma screens show highlights of BBC programmes.

The space also has a café and a BBC shop which stocks a variety of BBC dvds, videos, cassettes, cds and books.

Goodbye Pebble Mill...

While there will be some sadness in leaving Pebble Mill, the move to the Mailbox presents BBC Birmingham with a wonderful opportunity to be more visible and accessible than ever before, reconnecting with it's audiences.