Bruntwood to create roof garden at Blackfriars House
The planned introduction of a privately-accessed, landscaped roof garden with panoramic views over the city has been announced for the Manchester offices.
The commercial property company has commissioned architects Roger Stephenson to finalise the designs, which include lawned breakout spaces, timber decking, over 30 trees and Italian-designed furniture.
Elements of the landscaping will derive from recycled materials such as artificial bark chippings made of shredded and reformed car tyres.
The thinking behind the garden is to offer customers an all year-round outdoor space where they can take time away from their desks, spend their lunchtimes or host informal meetings. The terrace can also be hired to provide an alternative event space.
Manchester International Festival, who recently moved their headquarters operation to the 75% let Blackfriars House, has expressed an interest in the space.
Christine Cort, managing director at MIF, said: "The scope of the festival and our changing requirements means we need a space that is extremely flexible – we can go from a relatively small core team to 100 plus over the two year cycle.
"Bruntwood listened to us and worked with us, first to identify a space with potential and then to fit it out in a way that suited us perfectly. It feels like our home and reflects something of the spirit of the festival – original and creative."
Colin Sinclair, director of property marketing at Bruntwood, said: "The character space on the banks of the River Irwell is ideal for professional firms as well as media and digital businesses. The roof garden will be a great addition to the building for our customers, with great views over the city."
Office space is available at Blackfriars House from 450 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft. Existing customers include patent and trademark attorneys Wilson Gunn, Radford Advertising agency, White and Company accountants and media company 3 Door Digital who have recently taken creative space in the building.
