Plans in for £241m Manchester towers

We are all happy by the public realm but this development might be even uglier than Oxygen next door to it. Utter travesty of a design.

Extremely dated architecture – pastiche modernism.

Oh look its a box

Where do all these people go when they’re not couped up in their flats? Public realm in the city centre is really lacking and mostly poor quality.

The council should not approve any more apartment blocks (especially of this exaggerated scale) until they’ve sorted this problem out.

wow that tower is a huge ugly beast

And their track record of developing out sites elsewhere is…

Probably going to be flipped when, and if, a planning permission is secured.

A somewhat stark change from the usual bland buildings we have seen from SHA in the last couple of decades.

SimpsonHaugh know another material other than glass?? AND another design alternative to a flat top block?? I refuse to believe this

Why Simpson again?

I like this design, it’s different than just the standard brick blocks (look at the proposals by Imco Holdings and Forshaw Group on the McDonald’s, KFC, and Grosvenor Casino land, thats an example of how development should not be done).

And with regard to public realm, increase this anymore and the site stays vacant.
Plus the site is less than a 5 minute walk from the new Islington Green, Cotton Field park (one of Manchester largest Public Realms) and across the road from on of Manchester future public realm schemes on the Central Retail park.

Well done developer for overcoming the common challenges of redevelopment.

Horizontals are too strong. Give it to mee to design.

A quick challenge for those who say, ‘Oh look, it’s just a box,’ or ‘Not the Simpsons again’

Which tall buildings outside of London in the UK do you like?

Really like this – I guess from comments above beauty really is in the eye of the beholder…

Great to see a skyscraper planned for the site!

3D Chess Player is missing the point.

Which other city in the UK or Europe which has tall buildings is saturated with the work of one architect / office?

This is being hawked around the funding market with zero success. Not a chance this will get built anytime soon.

Another day, another 50 storey skyscraper. As some have said, the public realm remains poor. The city is going through a remarkable renaissance and the fear of green spaces remains. The missed opportunity of the old retail park, which had beautiful mature trees, now felled, sums up the decision makers in Manchester, the area around there has thousands of people, and that space as an extension of Cottonfield could have been very special . Even Oldham,is better at public realm than Manchester. They are currently creating two traditional parks in the town centre. Bolton too,has just landscaped a new town centre park. Manchester just can’t get it right with public realm. Why?

Hmm like the design. Of course how they clad them and link them to the st will be the deciding factor on how they work but promising.

It seem bit the same as Singapore and Hong Kong but it absolutely boring design like box skyscraper nothing massive different design, it absolutely boring architeture modern. Think Think Think something different design better than bloody box.

@Un-reason – in terms of public realm, yes it’s positive that there will be a bit of landscaping on site but external to that, Islington Green is slated to be developed, cotton Fields Park is full of people already most days and the space at the former Central Retail Park will again be more token landscaping. All this is simply not enough for the scale of buildings and the numbers of new residents being brought to the city.

If development is to be sustained, we need to make the city a nice place to live, not ever more oppressive.

Really feel as though Simpson-Haugh are about 20 years past their best. These designs are so incredibly dated now – all you have to do is travel outside Manchester to see that this looks like 2005’s vision of the future. If we’re going to have one architect designing the whole city, can we at least expect that architect to move with the times and use their imagination a bit?

Lots of these schemes have public realm that nobody ever uses

Design aside, public realm is important, however I think street trees are more so. With the right species street trees are great for biodiversity, carbon capture, effects of climate change – i.e. providing shade in extreme heat events and make the urban environment softer and add natural beauty.

Did someone say ‘jumping the shark’ yet?

blimey…talk about running out of ideas….this is completely disprectful garbage; it really, really is. Talk about kings new clothes….goodness me.

Many of the comments predictably make reference to the design – being bland, out of date, using inappropriate material, having a flat roof etc. I’d be interested to hear what alternatives these critics suggest and if they could give some examples of acceptable/ good architecture.

Plenty of people kicking SHA’s design here but, valid suggestions for improvement don’t seem to be jumping off the page ?
Doesn’t look offensive to me and it at least something positive is happening with the land regardless of whoever eventually builds it out.

I can’t tell whether I like it or not.

Are SimpsonHaugh the only architects in Manchester ?

I like the look of this, looks interesting and different to many others. good use of the space

Too tall for the site. I’m all for density but just daft/silly and no sense of scale at street level. Chop 10 storeys off the tall tower and increase the shorter one.

Marge SimpsonHaugh

Oh my God! Not another ugly skyscraper. Enough is enough

We do not want any more flats in Manshister. Houses please

Architectural style questionable but ‘Buy to Rent’ is not the solution for unaffordable accommodation. A generation of renters will only make those with money or those who borrow money BTR richer.
It really is about time that this nonsense stops and good quality housing is built which ‘normal people’s can afford to buy for themselves.

Re unreason – Cotton field Park is a small park maintained at the expense of people living in the flats around the marina but used by so many people in the summer that it is sometimes closed. It is ridiculous to build ever more flats at the scale and density of this development without making further provision for green space in the area. Apart from civil service development on the central retail site the rest of it should be developed as green space or the city council will kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

Buy to let Chav towers. Not needed unwanted by the public. Only wanted by developers and the council. Ugly. More overload on local infrastructure. Isn’t part of Stocktons Whitworths first premises?

Increase of office space will increase transport congestion. Build outside in surrounding towns

This area is going to be fantastic! So much going on in this area finally and this scheme looks great. I’m happy with the design and height, contrary to what other people are saying. I can’t wait for this to be built! Manchester is the best city in UK! Keep building!

@Roberta “ Isn’t part of Stocktons Whitworths first premises?”

Is that right? Fascinating if so, that’s a really valuable piece of history

People have complained about Manchester towers being monolithic slabs for years, yet now when a new stacked design is being implemented people still find a reason to moan ! If the city wants to supply enough living space to meet the insane demand, developers need to build at this scale. I think this is bold and will stand out uniquely amongst the MCR skyline. Hats off too for the public realm integration.

To the person who said no more skyscrapers and motre houses please. Are you being serious? You want houses in the city centre?
I’m glad you went in charge of New York or Paris. Those cities would just be full of boring houses

wow! brutal! get it built. I have always missed the 1970’s.

There’s more public realm in Manchester than ever before…why do people think it’s all gone?