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 The biggest and most stylish addition to Birmingham's skyline comes in the form of a giant Rubik's cube. Amita Mistry unravels the puzzle
MC Escher would be proud: 23 storeys high, resembling a Rubik's Cube from the outside and a game of Tetris from inside, this curious edifice will enliven Birmingham's skyline.
A unique L100-million building designed by MAKE Architects, The Cube (as it is known) is the perfect companion to the Mailbox - the popular mixed-use development - and aims for sophisticated city living.
"The Cube is an exceptional building," says MAKE founder Ken Shuttleworth. "It's like nothing else you've ever seen: from the outside it's just a very simple building, but as you go into the Cube, it's magical; it's made of glass with lots of bright colours. It is more like a jewellery box and inside are all the jewels."
 The design team sought to create a new landmark building for Birmingham that was firmly woven into its context. A tower was deemed inappropriate, but it was essential that the new building establish a strong visual presence and was immediately identifiable as a gateway to the city centre area lying immediately to the north.
"Birmingham has always had a 'can do' attitude and we saw it as a city that welcomes innovative new developments," says project architect Frances Gannon. "Expanding the Mailbox by creating the Cube will make it a real destination for travellers and an amazing home for residents."
 Speaking of Rubik's Cubes, the real thing has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity with 12 million of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-inducing toys going on the shelves last year. Inventor Pete Redmond recently created a giant robot called RuBot II that can allegedly solve any standard jumbled-up Rubik's Cube in 35 seconds!
The complex design and scale of the construction of the Cube building means that it won't be completed until spring 2010. Maybe RuBot II could work his magic on the building and speed up the process?
Architektoniczny pejzaż Birmingham zostanie wkrótce wzbogacony o ogromną kostkę Rubika.
Unikatowy budynek, zaprojektowany przez MAKE Architects, doskonale wpisuje się w wielkomiejski charakter miasta. Projektantom zależało, żeby Cube, czyli Kostka, harmonijnie komponowała się z popularnym centrum handlowym Mailbox.
"Cube to wyjątkowy budynek," mówi Ken Shuttleworth z MAKE. „Z zewnątrz bardzo prosty, w srodku magiczny: wszystko zrobione jest ze szkła, mieniącego się tysiącem kolorów. Można go porównać do szkatułki z biżuterią."
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