SimpsonHaugh puts Manchester HQ up for sale
As it prepares to relocate from Commercial Street to King Street, the architecture practice has appointed CBRE to find a buyer for its home of 25 years, which is earmarked for 200 apartments.
Located in the shadow of several SimpsonHaugh-designed skyscrapers, 4 Commercial Street is being marketed on the promise of its suitability to be redeveloped into a luxury residential scheme.
Branded as Riverside, the 0.23-acre site comprises SimpsonHaugh’s former offices and a surface car park fronting the River Medlock opposite Renaker’s Deansgate Square.
A massing study drawn up by the firm indicates plans for 200 apartments in a building of 20 storeys-plus. The proposed mix includes studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments.
Kieran McLaughlin, senior director at CBRE said: “This is a truly exceptional opportunity to deliver luxury living in one of Manchester City Centre’s most exciting and affluent neighbourhoods. With its riverside setting, proximity to the best of Manchester’s offering, Riverside is perfectly positioned to meet the growing demand for high-quality urban living.”
SimpsonHaugh Architects has signed a 10-year lease at Orbit Developments’ 55 King Street and will take residence on the building’s recently refurbished fifth floor this summer.
In a true Simpson Haugh fashion they draw proposal for the most uninspiring block with no design value. I wish they moved out of Manchester and stop ruining this city.
By Mike
Why not add another skyscraper here to add to the existing cluster? Perfect location for it!
By MC
Such a compromised site, you’ll never build that.
By BMcN
Must hate the view!
I totally agree with Mike too. The cut-and-paste blocks, especially around that area, will be a blight on the City in the next couple of decades.
By Disapointed Manc
The design is dull
By Martina
There may be a delicious irony here, if someone builds the most inspiring skyscraper in Manchester on that site.
By Elephant
We need more ‘luxury’ curtain wall apartment towers, said no-one ever
By Anonymous
The question nobody seems to be able to answer is Simpson Haugh keep on winning these projects?
Is it on price and they are working to tight budgets so we get these repetitive bland buildings. There must be may Architects out there, either in London or overseas that could be given the chance to come up with something more original.
Perhaps there’s not enough margin in it for new players.
By Peter Chapman
This is a typical HS lazy copy paste design. No imagination. With all the complaints about his hideous designs he still appears not to get the message. Manchester or whoever it is in charge must recrute other architects for exemple David Chipperfield who works mainly abroad. We do need a change from these boring ugly designs which in 10 or 15 years from now will be demolished.
By John
This design goes against the masterplan for KM that SH designed!!!!
By Interesting
Looks like a card-board cutout. Yes, it is indeed that bad
By Mike