Allied offers new look at St John’s

Brendan Geraghty, director and co-founder of the London based Geraghty Taylor Architects, explained: “We work from the premise of Brand before Building. That means we want to fully understand our client’s brand and create or develop the story behind any project we approach. Architecture is not just about bricks and mortar; it is about facilitating communities, lives and neighbourhoods and creating the brand and culture to support that. Working with Allied London was a pleasure, as they very much share our ethos.”

David Drews, St John’s head of design, added: “We have created for South Village and St. John’s Place Tower, two individual personalities. South Village is about craft and honesty. Expect polished concrete floors, oversized terraces and exposed brick. The Tower is inspired by mid-century classic design and features bespoke kitchens, marble finish walls and unparalleled views of Manchester. Once the former home of Granada TV, the creation of St. John’s seeks to re-establish and build on this heritage and bring it to life for a new generation of city-dwellers in Manchester.

Catherine Carpenter, head interior designer at Geraghty Taylor Architects, explained her approach to the brief: “Inspired by Manchester’s widely influential creative scene we approached the St John’s project with an emphasis on putting people back at the heart of design. We articulated a series of design rules and brand critical elements that responded to humans, such as materials that wear through human activity, leaving traces to tell a story through handcrafted and architectural elements. This then provided a very clear and robust framework through which all design and operational decisions were filtered.”

Homes at South Village and St John’s Place Tower will launch to the public in September 2016 through agents JLL.