Gary Neville has unveiled a new lozenge-shaped design for the St Michael’s Partnership’s controversial £200m tower in Manchester city centre.
Architect Hodder+Partners was appointed to redesign the original mixed-use scheme by Make Architects after the earlier version attracted local and heritage group opposition owing to its scale and effect on historic buildings in the city.
Plans for a single tower reduced in height by 2m to 134.5m to replace the earlier plans for two towers were announced last month, with further concessions to retain the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub and former Bootle Street Police Station frontage.
New detailed plans released today show a lozenge-shaped tower with glazing and a light bronze façade designed to bring a “lighter, more transparent approach” than the original black tower design.
The scheme is led by former footballers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs and has backing from Singapore-based Valencia football club owner Peter Lim’s Rowsley, Chinese state-owned Beijing Construction Engineering Group, and Manchester City Council.
Neville said: “For me, the success of this scheme is that ultimately it doesn’t turn its back on any part of the city.”
The new design for the 39-storey tower retains around the same commercial floorspace of the original scheme, with 147,000 sq ft of office space, 32,000 sq ft leisure space, 170 residential apartments over 19 storeys and a 200-bedroom five-star hotel over 12 storeys.
The rooftop on the scheme’s smaller office building will have 25,000 sq ft of outdoor food and drink outlets with a separate entrance accessible to the public from the ground floor.
A consultation on the revised plans will take place today at the Royal Exchange Theatre. Final plans are due to be submitted in September.
Zerum is the development adviser.
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