Bullring Shopping Centre

The structurally most complicated feature of the Bullring Shopping Centre is that it partially crosses over the Saint Martin's Queensway which in turn crosses over the tracks of Birmingham's busy New Street Station. In order to avoid creating supports within the station track space, some of the structures are supported from above - either using cable-stays or from high bowstring arch trusses spanning over the tracks. The buildings are then suspended from vertical elements suspended from these trusses.

The main "shopping streets" of the centre are glazed over using more conventional steel trusses that support the glass roofing. The truss systems become relatively complicated where the shopping streets - V-shaped in both building parts - intersect, creating large glazed areas.

The two building parts are connected at the lowest level of the shopping centre, which is below street level compared to New and High Streets, but at street level of Spiceal Street.