MMU submits plans for digital school
Manchester Metropolitan University is aiming to start on site next year at its digital school within the All Saints Campus, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley.
The £35m project is located on the site of the Students’ Union car park on Higher Chatham Street and is due include teaching space for subjects including film, UX design, photography, games design, animation, and artificial intelligence.
The building will house around 1,000 students a year and is estimated to generate around £13m annually for the local area.
At around 61,000 sq ft, the four-storey building will feature a double-height “digital hall” featuring a café, foyer, screening room, and exhibition space. There will also be improved public realm, including a new pedestrianised street between the building and the adjacent Benzie Building.
Construction costs are expected to be around £18m, and the university has already started its search for a main contractor. The project is expected to start on site by around this time next year and complete in June 2021, in time for the 2021/22 academic year.
The professional team features Barton Willmore, Turner & Townsend, and Buro Happold. A consultation was held on the project in the summer.
