Mecanoo puts down UK roots as portfolio expands
The Manchester studio of Dutch architecture practice Mecanoo has relocated after outgrowing its shared office on Portland Street due to a growing order book of North West work.
Mecanoo now employs 10 staff and has taken a 750 sq ft office in Canada Life's 52 Princess Street.
The multidisciplinary UK team is led by partner architect Francesco Veenstra. He said: "International experience and local presence, fresh thinking and new ideas are embraced here in Manchester and the North West. We have found being based locally is essential to allow for a strong client engagement and collaboration. The North West has become a second home to Mecanoo."
The office is working on several key projects, including the Manchester Engineering Campus Development, Oldham's Coliseum Theatre and Heritage Centre, key worker homes for University of Cambridge, and Hulme Private Rented homes. Mecanoo's design for the public realm of NOMA was completed in 2012, whilst HOME at First Street is set to open in May 2015.
Francesco Veenstra and Ernst ter Horst, associate architect at the Manchester office, are representing Mecanoo at MIPIM this week.
"Manchester's approach to events such as MIPIM enables networks to flourish and projects to happen. We're happy to be part of that," said Veenstra.
Mecanoo's headquarters are located in Delft, the Netherlands. The practice also maintains offices in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and Washington DC, United States.
