Whitworth Street West, Glenbrook, p Inform

Sheppard Robson is leading on the design of Glenbrook's proposed Manchester skyscraper. Credit: via Inform Communications

Glenbrook unveils Manchester skyscraper ambition

Coming in at 44 storeys, the proposals for 2-4 Whitworth Street West would see the creation of 364 homes near Deansgate rail and tram stations.

A public consultation has begun for developer Glenbrook’s proposals, which would see the demolition of the two vacant buildings currently sitting on the site.

Those coming upon the proposed skyscraper at ground level would be welcomed by three-storey terracotta arches, with large windows showcasing 7,800 sq ft of active commercial and leisure space.

NEXT WEEK | Place RESI | 17 October

There is no provision for car parking, with residents being encouraged to engage in active travel due to its proximity to public transit networks.

Glenbrook hopes to submit a planning application for the site later this year. If permission can be secured by the first half of 2025, the developer said it could be on site by the third quarter of 2026. If that deadline is met, then the skyscraper could be completed by the third quarter of 2029.

“As a Manchester-based developer, we are excited about the prospect of embarking on a landmark development in the heart of our city,” said Glenbrook development director Daniel Roberts.

He continued: “The site at Whitworth Street West represents a highly sustainable location with close proximity to the cultural and leisure attractions that Manchester offers.

“Whitworth Street West is undergoing a period of revitalisation and Glenbrook are incredibly proud to be playing such an integral part in its future.”

Whitworth Street West CGI street level, Glenbrook, p Inform

Deloitte is the planning consultant for Whitworth Street West. Credit: via Inform Communications

Sheppard Robson is leading the design of the tower, with Deloitte on planning duties. The project team also includes structural engineer AKT II, M&E engineer Futurserv, fire engineer OFR Fire Consultants, cost consultant Quartz Project Services, sustainability expert Mainer Associates, and landscape architecture Layer.Studio.

Sheppard Robson partner Tony O’Brien shared more details on his vision for the site.

“Our ongoing designs open up the site to create a new piece of public realm at the heart of the development, helping animate the streetscape and enhance connections from the city back to Knott Mill and First Street,” he said.

“The building’s expression draws upon the area’s rich history and local palette of materials to further root the design within its context, tying the scheme back to the listed railway viaduct to the south and Deansgate Station to the west.”

You can view Glenbrook’s proposals and share your feedback by visiting whitworthstreetwest.co.uk. The consultation will close on 27 October.

This is not the first time 2-4 Whitworth Street has been subject to a planning application. The site had been due to house a new Travelodge Hotel. However, planning permission was never enacted after being granted in 2020 and has since lapsed.

Glenbrook is already on site in Trafford, where it is working with the local council to deliver the 693-home Lumina Village.

Your Comments

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Love this!! What a cool way for the building to address the street! Finally, a tall building with character. More of this please.

By wicked

This looks great at street level, I just wish the rooftop was so much as half as inspired as the base.

By Anonymous

Nothing of character will be left in Manchester, meanwhile Bristol is booming as people want to work in and be surrounded nice interesting buildings rather than dull boxes. I’m all for building big but not at the expense of our history. Manchester will live to regret it (again).

By Loganberry

The first good thing in this wide characterless street for a long time. Didn’t Henry Boot win a competition ten years ago to do something but then failed? The street is too wide as well. Should allow the south side of the street to step out and narrow the chasm.

By Bernard Hinault

Great design, but this should be an apart-hotel (or at least the bottom half). It’s too central and busy/loud for just residential.

By Dr B

Amazing, more of this please. Just look at the street level quality!!!

By Anonymous

is this in place of the stalled vision project?

By Anonymous

    No, this is a neighbouring site.

    By Dan Whelan

Street level is really nice. Hope these new towers can turn Deansgate Locks into a location again.

By Anonymous

it looks stunning, I love the interaction at street level

By Michael

A beauty! Hope it gets built

By Steve

This is a bungalow, we want MEGAscrapers!!

By Skyscraper kid

Great . More apartments. Just what families need in Greater Manchester.

By House

I like the street level architecture but once again the main body of the building has a dominant colour that is grey . Grey grey grey . We already have our fair share of grey in this part of the world so why do we need anymore of this depressive colour ? What is it with architects and grey ? We need more colour not
even more depressing grey .

By Anonymous

Another apartment scheme?!

By Oversupply

Will link the simpler glass towers with more experimental design very well

By Anonymous

It’s back again!

By WayFay

Never happening.

By ..

But of a shame they have to lose those existing buildings though. I actually love the Deansgate tram stop because you get a raised view of the skyline but surely this would block that in part?
It’s no surprise that Manchester has been named one of the most picturesque cities in the world. It really is turning into a half decent city for tourists, even if a lot of it doesn’t match Manchester’s gritty history. The developing foodie scene alone is worth a frequent visit.

By Anonymous

I’m really glad to see some arches finally being included in some designs.

By Anonymous

Great proposal by a great developer!

By OJ

Those arches are sexy!

By Frank

Looks like a recycled version of the failed Vision development that was due to go next door.

By Mr Mcr

Nobody else in world except provincial property developer in Manchester thinks these teeny weenie skyscraper are in any way attractive and likely to improve image of city

By Tracey Barnes

Wow this looks stunning!! Keep em coming

By Anonymous

When are Deansgate and Oxford Road stations going to get an upgrade? Thousands more apartments are being built round there with little or no provision for cars, yet the creaking rail lines are already totally unsuitable at peak times.

By Nick

Love the street-level design. Rest a bit run of the mill, but still better than most!

By Tom

Quite like the proposal.

I’m uneasy about more of the old brick buildings being demolished rather than gentrifying them. If they could build the new tower without demolishing the old buildings
I would be happier.

By MrP

Looks so pleasingly different to all other residential schemes, tall or not the interaction with street level is superb. Let’s hope this gets built, what a mega location, with Viaduct, probably the best located scheme this side of the City.

By Spoony

Great to see a taller building at this site! But at 44 stories, will.it actually hit the 150m height it needs to to be classed a skyscraper?

By MC

Loganberry – the population of Greater Manchester is 2.9… the population of Bristol urban area is 700k. Not even comparable. All my colleagues in Bristol complain about the stringent planning department, stopping growth and driving a house price to earnings ratio to 9.6x avg salary.

By John W

With all these recently constructed high rise buildings with more planned when are GMC going to realise that the City needs to have a modern underground rail system that would gave access to all the concert halls , train stations , various University Campus,s etc and take away air pollution problems caused by so many cars entering the City centre.

By Paul griffiths

Comments on here you can tell Manchester has only just established itself my word .

By Anonymous

I like this design, particularly the street level. Always know the design is working when the odd petulant comment like ‘Nobody else in world except provincial property developer in Manchester blah blah blah….’ Excellent work !

By Anonymous

Loganberry is right, nobody seems to actually like these new buildings

By Anonymous

Nick, I doubt the stations will get an upgrade, there’s not enough demand nowadays

By Anonymous

Looks great! looks similar to speakers house if that ever gets pushed forward for construction

By JAB

44 storeys is nice but this is a prime city centre site so I would like to see at least 60 here

By Giant Skyscraper Fan

People clearly like arches.

By Anonymous

Street level is fantastic.
The cladding looks good.
The top of the tower is predictable and boring.
Redesign the top of the tower, give it character, and you got an even better looking tower.
Get it built!

By jrb

@ October 10, 2024 at 10:18 am
By Anonymous

Biggest laugh I’ve had all day!

By Anonymous

Looks fantastic. Right by the train, tram etc. a no brainer.

Whilst there are many missed opportunities for facadism, I really don’t feel this is one of them. The two units on the plot aren’t of much merit or heritage value. If anything, tidying up the space should better frame the genuine heritage asset that is Deansgate Locks.

Exciting part of time, especially as the Bee Network trains get started and it becomes a real hub

By Anonymous

If any of Manchester’s top three major architectural practices are watching, this scheme has something known as “good ground floor interaction”. Might be a good idea to take inspiration for future projects

By Anonymous

Really nice street activation, well done Glenbrook.

By Anonymous

If they were really clever, the vacant Victorian buildings could be incorporated into the scheme. They’re really high quality buildings and their demolition would be a loss to the area.

By Heritage Action

Coming from a Scouser, I think it’s bold and ambitious of Manchester to build on this scale. The skyline is changing and it demonstrates to the rest of the country and indeed the world that Manchester is a Flourishing cosmopolitan financial powerhouse of the North. My City on the other hand is run by imbeciles totally inept of any business acumen. Take Mr Steve Rotherham for example. He wants to build a Mersey barrage that will cost an initial 6 billion pounds. He obviously hasn’t read up on HS2 and the spiralling costs which inevitably caused the project to be stopped. What private investors is he going to try and convince to bank roll this project. The guy has got more chance of counting all the grains of sand in the Sahara desert before his next birthday than delivering the Mersey barrage. So Mancunians embrace the changes your city is undergoing because I am certain it will be a city of envy. Certainly from my point of view it is.

By Stephen Hart

Anonymous 10.17…or rather Loganberry…please at least read the comments…or read the room. The comments very much say otherwise!

By Anonymous

I”m usually a fan of big skyscrapers but I actually really like the two red brick vacant buildings they plan on demolishing. The stalled vision site should be built on first.

By We're just Normal men

This is fine but ecclesiastical arches, look better in pictures, than they do in the flesh. I am thinking of those disastrous Gardens buildings on Chester Road, which look like a retail park and have ruined what should be a grand boulevard and an introduction to the city. I agree with others about the red brick buildings too. They are pretty decent pieces of architecture.

By Elephant

Has anyone thought about how this would look next the the stalled Vision tower as (please correct me if I’m wrong) this is next door? Would it not make sense to merge the sites and create a couple of skyscrapers that harmonise together?

By MC

It’s a shame that to build another glass tower they will demolish two listed industrial building. PlaceNorthWest conveniently forgot to mention that. Manchester is really loosing it’s identity and becoming a dull, soulless city.

By Johnny

    Hi Johnny! I just doublechecked Historic England’s register of listed buildings and did not see the buildings currently occupying 2-4 Whitworth Street West. Any chance you could provide more information about their listed nature? We obviously like to include as much context as possible in our stories.

    By Julia Hatmaker

I’m liking this, looks a lot better than the previous proposal. Hope it gets built.

By Mike

@MC has a very good point!

By Tom

Granted, there weren’t/aren’t palaces, but looking at 3 redbrick warehouses, you know that you are in a midland/north English city.

Looking at this, and it’s potential neighbour, you could be anywhere in the world.

Totally devoid of character.

By Anonymous

Have to agree. Like the tower but the loss of the existing buildings just isn’t worth it. It’s tiresome.

By Anonymous

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