University finishes £85m business school
The University of Manchester has celebrated the completion of the £85m extension and refurbishment of the Alliance Manchester Business School.
The project is part of a 10-year £1bn estates renewal programme by the University of Manchester. Delivered with development and project manager Bruntwood, work started on site in March 2015 with the demolition of the Precinct Centre Bridge.
The scheme includes a 300,000 sq ft redevelopment of the existing business school, 45,500 sq ft of retail and leisure units, two hotels, and an Executive Education Centre. The hotels and EEC were completed in May 2018, while the business school was completed in December 2018.
While there were setbacks to the 210-room Crowne Plaza and 116-room Staybridge Suites hotels early in the project when contractor GB Building Solutions fell into administration, developer Bruntwood brought the project back on track by creating its own contracting firm, hiring staff from GB. This increased the overall project costs from £50m up to £85m. The architects for the project were BDP and Leach Rhodes Walker and the construction manager was Mace.
The business school has been open to students since January, and houses offices, meeting rooms, computer clusters, study spaces and lecture theatres. The building was fitted out and opened to the public at the beginning of June.
Funding came partly from a £9.7m grant from Research England’s UK Partnership Investment Fund, but also from charitable donations, including £15m from Lord Alliance, whom the building is named after.
At the launch of the business school, Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, said that the Alliance Manchester Business School will “shape and grow business leaders” and “cultivate the next generation of graduates”.
Click any image to launch gallery
Images provided by BDP
