Next 477,000 sq ft of Noma offices up for approval
Federated Hermes and MEPC are hoping to win planning consent for two buildings at the 20-acre Manchester business district.
Manchester City Council has recommended plans for the latest phase of workspace at Noma be approved when its planning committee meets next week.
The Cartwright Pickard-designed buildings, 2 and 3 Angel Square, will jointly deliver around 440,000 sq ft of grade A office space.
Standing at 14 storeys, 2 Angel Square will see 197,926 sq ft of office space delivered, along with 17,200 sq ft of potential commercial space on the top floor.
Three Angel Square will be 13 storeys, with 241,531 sq ft of office space and 22,690 sq ft of commercial space.
The latest plans are the third iteration of the 2 and 3 Angel Square offices. Proposals for the site, currently used as car parks, were first approved in 2015. Noma then refreshed the plans in 2019.
In May, Place North West revealed that the office buildings were to be reconsidered in the wake of the Covid pandemic and the climate emergency, with Cartwright Pickard replacing original architect AHR.
The developer is targeting BREEAM “Excellent” and NABERS five-star accreditation as we as an EPC rating of A.
Planit-IE is the landscape architect and Deloitte is advising on planning.
The buildings, which will feature glazed, angled terracotta panels on their facades, aim to complement the Co-op headquarters at 1 Angel Square, and the 200,000 sq ft 4 Angel Square, which is due to be completed in early 2023.
Plans for the revised scheme were lodged in July. Credit: via Virtual Planit
I hope that car park isn’t there to stay
By Anonymous
I support development here but these are seriously ugly buildings of zero architectural merit.
By 1981
And what would you like 1981? The Taj Mahal? The hanging gardens of Babylon? These are offices, how about you share your designs so we can see where these architects are going wrong?
By 2022
I agree with 1981. I think the Taj Mahal might look a bit out of place here but the new scheme will look very 2022 in 2032.
By 2022 and onwards
Sorry 1981, but whilst design is subjective, I disagree and do like the architecture and overall massing.
By 2032
Sadly 1981 offers little but the usual reductive criticism. These look absolutely fine for modern offices otherwise half of what constitutes a modern city wouldn’t be built at all and there would be no investment, no jobs and little hope for the future and we have enough places like that already don’t we?
By Anonymous
Its offices, the wider development has style and individuality in spades if every building was built to those ideals then Im pretty positive it would look far worse than this. Functionality and a minimally intrusive style has its own purpose and reasoning. It all end up blending easily on the eye.
By Cristoforo
Manchester’s redevelopment as a new Manhattan is unstoppable. Soulless glass boxes. Could do better.
By Monstrous Carbuncle
They need more car parks for the office workers. Too many workers and too few parking spaces.
By ZiffZaff
No problem with these, the Coop Hq has always been a great recognised as a great design so adding a few more offices around an office development in a city centre near great transport links means Manchester just continues to grow and attract investment and that’s a good thing for everyone.
By Simon
Excellent design I think and I say this as someone who doesn’t real like buildings , especially office buildings. That roundish one at the back is my favourite though.
By Jurgan Strop
Car parking ? Maybe, though it would have to be cheap car parking and there’s not much of that left in Manchester. Victoria station and the tram is nearby though.
By Anonymous
Anon the tram hardly goes anywhere and Victoria Station is no use, most people need to drive to work
By DH
Hopefully all its new occupants live on a direct bus/train/tram route.
By Anonymous
About 70% of commuters travel by public transport and its increasing DH and that’s exactly what we should be encouraging
By Exasperated
Apparently the largest tram network in the UK hardly goes anywhere… ha! I guess tram network does need to expand further, that’s what they should be looking at instead. Onwards and upwards Manchester.
By Anonymous
If that were the case DH no one would be working or living In the city centre would they? and an awful lot of people do now.
By Anonymous
The trolling and fake statistics is tiring, Most people do not live in Manchester city centre, most people do not live on the tram line, most people cannot get a reliable train to Victoria, most people who work at Co-op drive to work, all facts.
By DH
Hi folks, both points of view regarding car parking availability and public transit have now been shared at length. Let’s move the conversation forward to discuss other elements of the project. – Julia
By Julia Hatmaker
@Monstrous Carbuncle if your interpretation of Manhattan is, as you describe “Soulless Glass Boxes”, then you clearly, absolutely have never been to Manhattan.
By Jo
They look like a couple 60’s built secondary schools…all we want now is the cooking of smelly cabbage wafting from them….
By Rodders