Chamber crowns Media City UK best of 2011
The £650m first phase of Peel Group's Media City UK in Salford Quays was named Building of the Year by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce at a dinner on Thursday evening.
The winner was announced by Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, at the chamber's property and construction annual dinner in the Hilton Hotel on Manchester's Deansgate, attended by 350 property folk.
Media City UK to date contains 330,000 sq ft of BBC offices in three buildings, a 46,500 sq ft ITV office, seven television studios, 101,000 sq ft base for Salford University, 80,000 sq ft of retail anchored by a Booths supermarket, 218-bed Holiday Inn hotel, 378 apartments and a 2,300-space multi-storey car park.
Phil Cusack, the chairman of GM Chamber's property and construction committee and vice-president of the chamber, said: "This development makes a statement about our city region. It is of national economic significance and it shows the world that here in Greater Manchester we are capable of delivering best in class – whether it is in development expertise, public sector vision, functional design or construction delivery.
"Media City will contribute to the economic well-being of Salford, Manchester and the region for generations to come. This award recognises its importance in terms of the immense contribution it is already making."
Media City was built by Bovis Lend Lease. Other companies in the project team include Sheppard Robson, S Wright, Urban Vision, Wilkinson Eyre, Benoy, Fairhursts Design Group, Gillespies LLP, Chapman Taylor, Jacobs Engineering UK, Faber Maunsell, Overbury, Capita Symonds, Aecom, and Cyril Sweett.
Media City won the award ahead of other major developments in the city: Greater Manchester Police North Manchester Divisional Headquarters in Newton Heath, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School and Student Hub building, and the newly restored Ordsall Hall in Salford.
