50-storey skyscraper features in IQ’s vision for Manchester PBSA overhaul

it is so beautiful – I am crying

Looks like a decent development. Would be great if they could uncover the Medlock, but appreciate the cost and mixing rivers with students might not be a good combo.

More density please

Copy and paste

OMG we’re the best

… only 50 floors? Come on, go higher…! 50 is the last decade’s 34 floors. 70+ please! And a reference to the Pariser Building’s mad colours should happen.

Great to see another skyscraper in the city! Perfect location for student beds as well, right next to the uni, surely there can’t be any objections to the practicality of this development?

I like the rectangular bit.

I can only imagine that the critics on this site who go on and on and on and on and on and on about cut and paste design, don’t take the time and trouble to look at the detail of each scheme or look at them side by side……..but why should they when they can get ill informed comments published on a site like this

SimpsonHaugh are literally the volume housebuilder of the tower sector. Copy and paste garbage. Great news for Manchester now but in 50 years people will be looking at this in the same way we look at former Soviet architecture now.

Ohhh this is a great Month For Giant Skyscraper fan! This will elavate the city’s growth and Talls in the city Approve it now!

However I do agree with @3.41pm should be 65 or 70 storeys but 50 storeys and 32 and 24 is good for us but 65 and 50 40 then 35 could be the way

Honestly, who spend 7 years studying architecture to spew out this?!

Another monstrosity by Simpson, again!

“SimpsonHaugh is the architect”. Like that matters. All their buildings look exactly the same, even the receptionist can just copy/paste it and print it out for you.

Ideal for students accommodation…oh hang on that’s what it’s for.

I am an expert cladding evaluator and I can confirm that these look excellent on my computer screen. The council should approve this scheme without delay,

Although I agree that Simpson Haugh architecture all looks the same, the houses in Edinburgh New Town, all look the same. Uniformity sometimes works.

I agree with anon – 6:03 pm, some of the comments regarding towers in Manchester are ridiculous. Usual lazy throw out comments about all look the same ext. Yes they are all flat roofs and we could do with a few pointed ones but i am sure they will come. The materials on nearly every tower about 150 meters in Manchester is absolutely top quality.

Looks like a distinctive, thoughtful development to add to Manchester’s skyline. 10/10 to the developers. Let’s hope it sails through planning!

I haven’t done the numbers, but there now must be 50+ SH towers either built, under construction, approved or proposed in the city centre – people are entitled to want a little variety for the skyline. Yes, this scheme seems considered but there are too many towers by one practice – it is monotonous. Thankfully we have St Michael’s on the rise to break up the repetitiveness. Aside from Christopher Wren, no one architect should have a monopoly over a skyline..

Sadly, it is just another boring thing on the horizon. Bring back the Elven Glade!

You can’t help but laugh at some of the comments. It seems that some feathers were ruffled when another city got a taste of their own medicine.

Whilst the designs on this could certainly be more interesting, I don’t think it will be a bad filler if they use quality materials, which I imagine they will.

@Hehe you think they will use quality materials for student accommodation? Like the S&H ‘designed’ River Street Tower that has cladding that looks like plastic and there’s bits of it missing?

There are of course lots of talls in Manchester now, most better than this one admittedly..Victoria, The Blade, Three60 etc but this is ok for student accommodation and likely better in the clad than one cgi can show. Talls always wake up the trolls for some reason. Not sure what about their insistent skyward thrustiness that they feel most intimidated by 😂

There’s a lot of commentary that Simpson Haugh’s designs all look the same and yes, to a point, they do. But isn’t a consistent city identity a good thing? After all, these buildings will likely be torn down or reclad in 30 to 40 years, and the reshaping of Manchester will continue. Meanwhile, the city’s sandstone masterpieces will remain as enduring landmarks.

Overall, IQ’s scheme aligns well with Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor vision, much like Circle Square and ID Manchester, blending PBSA with proximity to research hubs and tech clusters.

That said, I’m not a fan of monolithic PBSA blocks. They don’t allow for easily accessible external spaces that could be created by stepping the building. And frankly, the idea of a party on the roof of a 50-storey tower doesn’t bear thinking about. For that reason, I would expect – indeed, demand – that the internal social spaces are of the highest quality and offer diverse experiences.

In summary, Manchester has shown the country who really is the second city. Developments like this, alongside world-leading universities, excellent PBSA, and new co-living/BTR schemes, reinforce that position. The only question that remains is: what happens to the renting culture after that?

These designs are awful, but let’s face it, this part of town is a dogs dinner and this is an improvement. It’s a shame, as a few slight tweaks to the facades and they would be great.

You should see the towers in Leeds and Birmingham. Absolutely shocking quality. Liverpool starting to head in the same direction unfortunately. The charm of the waterfront has been obliterated.

I think we should take advantage of anon 2.47 knowledge and expertise and invite him to inform us of the small tweaks that would make this scheme great…….he would be doing a real public service…….i for one can’t wait to here from him

Absolutely abysmal. Manchester accepts the lowest of the low architecturally.

Surely there’s a way to deliver in a budget constraint and not sacrifice all architectural merit?

Need to stop dumping sewage in the Medlock or the new residents of this development will be in for a nasty surprise.Just ask anyone who lives or socialises in the area how bad it gets