Unite’s Piccadilly Point to turn blue  

The 10- to 19-storey student accommodation block close to Manchester Piccadilly train station is to be reclad in anticipation of ever-evolving demands on cladding, changing its appearance from brown to blue. 

The building’s owner, student accommodation provider Unite Students, has appointed London-based Rok Planning as the planning consultant for the scheme. The project will see the existing high-pressure laminate panels, a mix of brown and grey, removed and replaced with light blue and silver alternatives. 

Work to remove and replace the cladding is expected to start in October and last for 10 months.

The building is safe for occupation in its current form, so there is no safety-related requirement to update the cladding. However, Unite took the decision to remove the existing high-pressure laminate cladding and replace it with Vitradual solid aluminium panels to update the building.

The project will “provide a new colour palate that references features of prominent adjacent buildings and provide a simpler, less dense panel arrangement, resulting in a fresh aesthetic and reducing the perceived massing of the existing building,” according to Axiom Architects. 

Housing up to 588 people, Piccadilly Point will remain occupied while the work is carried out.