Ingall picks winner for PRS towers

Architecture practice, Denton Corker Marshall, has won a design contest held by Allied London to design three high-rise private rented residential towers in the St John’s neighbourhood, Manchester, totalling more than 900 apartments.

The towers will be DCM’s first major commission for Allied in Manchester since the distinctive Civil Justice Centre opened in 2007 at Spinningfields. DCM has also designed for Allied in London, at 20 Cannon Street and 28 Savile Row.

Michael Ingall, Allied London’s chief executive, commented: “Notwithstanding our historic and successful partnership with Denton Corker Marshall, they proposed the best architectural solution to a difficult brief. Designing residential towers in Beta cities like Manchester is a challenge within the context of our values, ‎so we required very experienced and thoughtful architects who understood our core objectives. We are bringing a new product to market and we can’t fall short of our design standards. DCM gave us a complete architectural solution that will be exciting and effective.”

James Sidlow, recently recruited to the Allied team from Deloitte, will head up the delivery of the new St John’s Living venture and brand.

Ingall added: “We are very serious about PRS. It is very well suited to the St John’s vision and we have an opportunity here to provide a great new product, ‎to a new market and create an asset class that delivers and sustains both service and value. We proved with the XYZ Building that to be successful you have to pay close attention to detail and we are delighted to be working with Denton Corker Marshall who share this passion.”

Sidlow added: “The heritage-rich St John’s site represents a new best-in-class city centre neighbourhood providing a place to live, work and play. Set at the heart of the neighbourhood, the two landmark PRS towers will take residential design into a new era. Working with Denton Corker Marshall, the towers will combine creative design, unrivalled city views, considered layouts, exciting communal accommodation all bound under a strong Allied London brand and management structure. For the growing young professional sector, the towers will offer an aspirational lifestyle within a unique setting, unsurpassed anywhere else in the city.”

The construction of the buildings is in line with the strategic regeneration framework designed by SimpsonHaugh & Partners for St John’s and approved last year, which established the principle of a series of tall residential blocks towards the west of St John’s and along the River Irwell.

A planning application is due to be submitted later this year. Allied said St John’s Living will begin construction in March 2017.

St John’s is the new project developing the Old Granada Studios site into a new neighbourhood that will be a place for people to live, work, create and play.