MMU lodges plans for scaled-back £80m All Saints library
The university has submitted revised plans for a replacement 130,000 sq ft facility rising to nine storeys off Oxford Road.
Manchester Metropolitan University’s replacement All Saints Library amounts to an £80m investment. The proposals submitted to Manchester City Council are the second iteration are the plans.
An earlier £90m scheme, which comprised a more outlandish facade design, was reworked due to rising costs.
The refreshed plans feature a more conventional overall design with a glazed ceramic façade, which marks a significant departure from the original. The upddated plans are also smaller in scale; the original scheme rose to 13 storeys and spanned in excess of 200,000 sq ft.
In the face of criticism for these changes, the university maintains the scheme is as ambitious as the original.
The earlier iteration of the scheme. Credit: Our Studio
The revised plans will see a section of the existing library building retained and redeveloped into a “separate educational building”, according to a planning statement by consultant Deloitte. Plans for that project will be lodged in 2026.
Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the library will feature a range of spaces for students – including a podcast studio, double height reading room, and independent study spaces – while the wider project would open up new outdoor spaces and pedestrian connections across campus.
To learn more, search for reference number 144697/FO/2025 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
Planit, Buro Happold, Turner & Townsend, and Hoare Lea are also advising on the scheme.
- Credit: Hawkins\Brown
- Credit: Hawkins\Brown
- Credit: Hawkins\Brown
- Credit: Hawkins\Brown
The new one would be fine if we had not been teased with the incredible first version. They need a nice philanthropist to dig deep!!!!!
By How sad :(
Did MMU ever have any real intention of building the original design, or was it a striking image meant for marketing, particularly overseas?
It’s not really revised or scaled-down from the original, it’s a new and generic design and a million miles away from the usual value engineering of the initial concept.
It’s a worry that somewhere in charge of educating thousands of people doesn’t understand what “ambitious” means.
By View from the 42
A business park in Slough called and asked for their worst building back. Truly awful
By Bob
Why not just keep the existing library and refurbish it? It’s got the same architectural merit as this design.
By Anonymous
It’s just very sterile for a library. More suited to some science park. Doesn’t make for inspiring reading and learning
By Tomo
The revised proposal is dreadful.
By jrb
We can be thankful it’s not as bad as the Grosvenor West building on the other side of the park, arguably the ugliest building on Oxford Road. It seems to need constant cleaning, its dry risers face directly onto the street, and instead of windows it presents a blank canvas for graffiti.
By GermanMike
I like the top glass corner but everything else looks crap
By Anonymous
What a load of rubbish. This will be seen as a wasted opportunity for evermore . Poor!
By Christopher
Bland and utterly boring.
By Anonymous
The mancunian way is slowly becoming one big MMU logo
By Anon
The design looks very similar to the current All Saints building they are set to demolish. Could they not refurb the All Saints library, which was loved by students, if they are moving away from a bold new design? Design issues aside, what is the square footage of the All Saints Library and will the new building significantly improve on that? How many study spaces for students will there be, and will this be a significant improvement on the former All Saints Library?
By anonymous
Another square box for Manchester – oh dear
By Anonymous
The new library will look amazing set against a backdrop of the other buildings,old and new
A true statement, congratulations in advance
By Hvac
How dull. The original proposal was fantastic. Such a shame
By Such a shame
MMU campus looks so much better than it did a few years ago, old buildings revitalized, tired buildings replaced/refreshed, a park you can safely sit in. New ones are never going to be to everyone’s architectural cup of tea.
By Anonymous
Looking at the plans for the new library building raises some important questions. At first glance, the proposal feels like a significant step back from the bold first iteration.
The existing library offers generous space, though its environmental conditions could be stronger.
The new design, however, appears less grand and far less ambitious. Current trends in digitisation mean we need less physical space for books, but that should be an opportunity to create better spaces for collaboration and teaching – not a reason to compromise on aesthetic quality.
Libraries are more than repositories; they are places for people. Physical comfort, natural light, and air quality all contribute to the learning experience, and these factors shouldn’t be overlooked.
There’s also a heritage consideration: will the new development affect any graves on the original site? Respect for history and culture must remain part of the conversation.
A library is more than a building; it reflects how we value knowledge and community. If the new plan doesn’t enhance those values, perhaps it’s time to rethink the approach.
By Steve5839
Boring, redesign needed
By Anonymous
I quite like it
By Happy