Picture caption: The Manchester skyline. Picture credit: Mylo Kaye on Unsplash
Manchester is on the up, with three more towers approved for development last month, including a 76-storey tower called Nobu Manchester. This is part of a wider economic boom in the city centre, with around 70 towers currently planned or under construction.
Nobu Manchester, located on Deansgate, will house a Nobu restaurant, a 160-bedroom hotel, and 452 homes. At 246m, it will be the second-tallest building in the UK.
It’s part of the second phase of the Viadux development, which includes a 23-storey tower, containing 133 affordable apartments. The first phase consisted of a 40-storey tower with 370 apartments, which have completely sold out.
Once finished, the Viadux scheme will have regenerated a challenging 7,430m2 (80,000 sq ft) brownfield site near St Peter’s Square. The project includes the restoration of a Grade II-listed brick viaduct. The hotel, restaurant and homes will be in easy walking distance of the city’s business, retail and leisure districts.
In addition to this, town planners approved a separate scheme from architects Sheppard Robson. This 44-storey tower will have a triple-height entrance, with residents’ amenities on the first three floors, and 364 flats on the floors above.
The arched colonnade design of the tower takes inspiration from Manchester’s viaducts, and the building is designed to ‘integrate’ with nearby tall building clusters, including the Viadux scheme.
This development also features a three-storey element to better align with the streetscape, plus landscaping designed to deliver a biodiversity uplift. Additional efficiencies will come from the 60/40 solid-to-glazing façade ratio, which will reduce solar gain.
The building also features natural ventilation for 80 per cent of the structure, energy-efficient air-source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. Off-site construction methods and modular façade systems will contribute to efficiencies.
It’s good to see that Manchester is booming, and whenever I’ve visited for conferences, the rate of change has been very apparent. But not everyone is happy about it.
Campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage published a report in autumn 2023, Boom Not Bust: How Greater Manchester can build the future without destroying its past. It was written to highlight the need to protect historic buildings from the threat of redevelopment or neglect. As an example, it mentions the Manchester Reform Synagogue on Jackson’s Row, which was demolished to make way for No. 1 St Michael’s, a £120-million office block built by footballer Gary Neville’s Relentless Developments, along with a US investor.
Unfortunately, if buildings are not listed, it’s very difficult to protect them from the march of progress. In our last article, Work from Home and Live at the Office, we mentioned how challenging it can be to convert historic buildings into suitable homes. So while I support preserving our heritage buildings, it’s no surprise that developers often opt for demolition over refurbishment.
That said, it would be a shame if Manchester were to become a shrine to glass and metal, without retaining as much of its character as possible. The 76-storey Nobu building, along with all the other towers in progress, is certainly going to change the skyline.
Meanwhile, if you need any assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.
