New images reveal major progress in demolishing the old NatWest Tower.

While work to knock down the 22-storey John Madin building is largely taking place behind cover, these photos show it is on track.

Rockspring Property Investment and Sterling Property Ventures are demolishing the building at 103 Colmore Row to erect a larger, 26-storey tower in its place, scheduled for completion in 2018.

Demolition of the former NatWest banking hall in Colmore Row follows a four-month strip-out of the tower's interior.

Demolition work on 103 Colmore Row, the old Natwest Tower

As part of the work, some of the banking hall's façade is being retained temporarily, to create a noise and dust buffer along Colmore Row.

More than 19 miles of scaffolding has been erected to date to facilitate the works – roughly the distance between Birmingham and Coventry.

Materials salvaged from the 1970s building, including timber, metal and concrete, will be processed and removed to a recycling plant – around 94 per cent in total.

Ornate aluminum doors of the banking hall, commissioned from late artist and sculptor Henry Haig, have been retained for use within the new building. The bronze coloured double doors boast an abstract triangle design, based on the NatWest logo.

Demolition work on 103 Colmore Row, the old Natwest Tower

Peter Graham, construction director at Sterling, said: "We are working on a very constrained site in the centre of a busy business district.

"The removal of the four-storey podium fronting Colmore Row will create space for the contractors, without the need to impinge on public space around the site."

Phase two of the demolition programme – dismantling the concrete tower floor by floor – will commence shortly and is anticipated to take around 11 months.

Demolition work on 103 Colmore Row, the old Natwest Tower

The NatWest Tower will be replaced by a £60 million landmark building reaching 346 ft, making it the tallest office building under construction in the UK outside London.

Eric Linden, European director at Rockspring, said: "The NatWest Tower has been unoccupied since 2003 and the site has had a number of false dawns over the past decade.

"Having bought the building at the end of 2014, we are pleased to finally press the 'start' button on this project and pave the way for a new signature building for Birmingham."

Video: 103 Colmore Row Tower Crane Build Time Lapse

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