Chamber reveals finalists for GM building of the year
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has announced the shortlist for its 2016 building of the year award, which includes the recently completed One New Bailey office and the King Street Townhouse hotel.
Now in its twelfth year, the objective of the award is to recognise a building’s contribution to Greater Manchester in terms of construction and development. The Chamber’s Property & Construction Committee, which is responsible for choosing the winning building, has selected the following finalists:
- Ashton Old Baths in Ashton-under-Lyne, developed by Tameside Council
- King Street Townhouse on Booth Street, Manchester, by Eclectic Hotels
- Maggie’s at the Christie in Withington, by the Maggie’s Cancer Caring Charity
- Oldham Town Hall in Yorkshire Street, Oldham, currently under construction by the council
- One New Bailey Street in Salford, by English Cities Fund
See below for gallery of the finalists
The committee, which consists of 18 professionals from a range of businesses in the property and construction sector, will be undertaking site visits over the next few weeks before making its final decision. The winning building will be announced at the Chamber’s Property & Construction Annual Dinner at The Hilton Deansgate in Manchester on 20 October.
Commenting on the shortlist, Steve Burne, chairman of the Chamber’s Property & Construction Committee and managing director at AEW Architects, said: “This year’s nominations once again highlight the quality of the projects being delivered across Greater Manchester and it was a difficult decision to choose only five finalists. We are delighted with the shortlist, which includes a mixture of exemplar conservation projects and high quality new builds from different parts of the region.
“The award is not only an accolade for the winner, but also recognises the collaboration of the project teams and is specifically an acknowledgement of the client bodies with the foresight to commission the projects. The Property and Construction Committee looks forward to visiting the finalists in September and deciding the winner.”
Last year’s winning building was The Whitworth which impressed judges by bringing a unique social interaction back to a very important piece of heritage. Previous winners of the competition have included Number One Riverside in Rochdale and the People’s History Museum, Manchester.
The Construction Apprentice of the Year award, sponsored by S I Sealy & Associates, will also be presented at the Property & Construction Annual Dinner to an apprentice working on a full apprenticeship framework. The winner will be presented with the award and a cash prize.
Select any image to launch gallery
- Ashton Old Baths
- One New Bailey
- Maggie's at the Christie
- Oldham Town Hall
Ashton Old Baths = Place First
By Observer
I didn’t think Ashton old baths was developed by Tameside council – I thought it was bought and developed by PlaceFirst property developers and then, after completion, sold to the council.
As for Tameside council, someone should ask their energy conservation people and ‘green’ team why the (empty) building is lit up like a Christmas tree through the night.
By Ashton Lad