Mayfield momentum continues with 244,000 sq ft office

Fresh from submitting plans for the first phase of the £1.4bn project in Manchester earlier this month, the Mayfield Partnership has advanced proposals for a 244,000 sq ft office at the mixed-use site.

A vision for the second office at Mayfield, brought forward in response to occupier demand, was revealed this summer and the developers behind the scheme have now pressed ahead by submitting a planning application.

Designed by architect Morris + Company, the 13-storey building will contain 231,000 sq ft of offices along with 13,300 sq ft of flexible space, which has been set aside for uses which could include leisure, exhibition space, conferencing, a theatre, or cinema.

The office will have floor plates of around 23,300 sq ft between the first and sixth floors, with the upper floors housing smaller floor plates of between 20,500 sq ft and 15,300 sq ft.

Also included are nearly 10,000 sq ft of terraces across the upper floors, with the largest on the 10th floor.

The building is likely to be targeted at multiple tenants with larger requirements; Barclays has long been rumoured to be eyeing up to 600,000 sq ft at Mayfield but with talks ongoing, it is understood the bank is unlikely to take space at Baring Street, and is instead eyeing a “campus-style” development elsewhere within the site.

Mayfield Office 2 October 2019 2

The larger office, left, and the smaller Baring Street office, right

The planning application for the latest office, now submitted by Deloitte on behalf of the Mayfield Partnership, follows the submission of the opening phase of the wider masterplan earlier this month; this will feature a 6.5-acre public park around the River Medlock with a 70,000 sq ft speculative office alongside. This has floor plates of around 10,700 sq ft and has been designed by Bennetts Associates.

There will also be a 545-space multi-storey car park delivered as part of phase one.

The park is central to the first phase planning application. Set to cover nearly seven acres, the park includes more than 121,000 sq ft of soft landscaping, nearly half of which will include riverside habitat alongside the Medlock.

There will also be a riverside walkway overlooking the park; 146 newly-planted trees; a wetland boardwalk including riverside planting; south-facing seating and steps with a capacity for up to 500 people; a terraced garden with nearly 6,500 sq ft of rain garden planting; and 365m of opened-up river.

The two applications are the first major plans submitted at the £1.4bn site, which could provide 1,500 homes, a 650-bedroom hotel, retail and leisure space, along with more than 800,000 sq ft of offices.

The professional team on the latest planning application includes Faithful + Gould; Stace; RoC; WSP; and Buro Happold. Studio Egret West is the landscape architect for the office and masterplanner for the wider Mayfield site.

The Mayfield Partnership, which has submitted both applications, is made up of U+I, LCR, Manchester City Council, and Transport for Greater Manchester.

Your Comments

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So it’s going to be a Cheshire style business park?

By Dan

@ Dan…no, not at all. You obviously know nothing about the Mayfield masterplan. Do some research!

Finally, some architecture that doesn’t come from Simpson Haugh. Nice to see someone else getting a look in!

By steve

Ground level connections across the Mancunian Way will be easy to reestablish here. The momentum of the Piccadilly SRF, Mayfield project and Ardwick Green Masterplan won’t work if they are all adjacent islands. It’s dangerous at the moment how people cross here where people travel at 50mph.

By Ardwick Connections

This looks like something you would see near the airport. I agree with Dan. Although this building looks quite good. The park will make a difference.

By Elephant

I thought the point of Mayfield was to be different and not “anywhere architecture”?

By BORING!

Spinningfield 2 basically

By Floyd

@Steve agreed, glad this inst being designed by Simpsons, they have a monopoly over the city and its important to have a diverse range of architecture. Simpsons have become all to ubiquitous in Manchester, and Manchester is a city that is famous for diversity.

By MrWhite

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