Bruntwood’s Pall Mall overhaul approved

The company has won planning consent to refurbish the vacant 83,500 sq ft office building on Manchester’s King Street.

Bruntwood, which bought Pall Mall from Ardstone Regional last October, plans to create workspace and leisure facilities at the grade two-listed, 1960s-built property as part of its nationwide £200m Pioneer office refurbishment programme.

Designed by architect Sheppard Robson, the project involves creating 85,000 sq ft of office and hospitality space across three interlinked tower blocks. Dragonfly Contracts is the main contractor for the project.

The building is intended to be net zero carbon in operation with all supplied energy derived from renewable sources and intelligent building management technology. The aim is for it to achieve a BREEEAM ‘very good’ rating and become Manchester’s “first workspace aimed at the consciously minded”, Bruntwood said.

On the ground floor, there will be a hospitality-style entrance, created by repositioning the original entrance to the centre of the building to create an outdoor piazza and covered terrace in a previously unused space.

A food and drink offering will be included, as well as an additional retail space incorporated on King Street. The building will feature a wellness studio and gym, cycle store, showers and changing area, towel service, drying room, and ironing space for workers based in the building.

There will also be several other amenities including a roof terrace for relaxing or hosting events, with views along historic King Street, a coworking lounge, a range of multifunctional meeting rooms, conferencing ‘pods’, and the first ‘pitch and presentation’ area in Bruntwood Works’ offices portfolio. Bruntwood Works is Bruntwood’s offices arm.

Externally, Pall Mall will retain its grade two-listed design “to preserve its cultural importance”, Bruntwood said. For example, the listed windows and mosaics will be restored and other windows “sensitively replaced with like-for-like alternatives…that will also support energy saving and the overall carbon reduction of the building”.

The refurbished building will feature a food and drink offering, wellness studio, a roof terrace, and other amenities. Credit: via Citypress

Pall Mall is to form part of a cluster of city centre properties, including Bloc, Manchester Club, Bond (previously known as 38-42 Mosley Street) and 57 Spring Gardens, which will allow occupiers to benefit from shared facilities and services.

Other Manchester properties refurbished through Bruntwood’s Pioneer programme include Neo, Blackfriars House, 111 Piccadilly, Bloc, and The Alberton.

“Having received planning approval, we are now one step closer to realising our vision for the new Pall Mall,” said Andrew Butterworth, commercial director for Bruntwood Works.

“Given the historic nature of the building, the plans were complex, needing to be sympathetic to the heritage of the site while also remaining consciously minded and providing a dynamic and innovative space for our customers…

“Alongside our existing cluster of forward-thinking city centre workspaces, the iconic Pall Mall will act as a blueprint for sustainable listed renovations, and help our customers and the wider city to reach its net zero ambitions.”

The project team also includes structural engineer DWLLP; heritage consultant Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture; Deloitte as planning consultant, and Ramboll, which provided sustainability consulting, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services.