What is Manchester’s most important building?
Readers, we want your knowledge. Join Place as we debate which single Manchester building has made the largest impact on the city over the past 100 years.
Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder when it comes to “the best building” or what represents a superior design. A cursory glance through the Place comments section will tell you that much, every time a new residential tower’s CGIs are released.
But we think there is an interesting debate to be had around what the most important building is.
By most important, we mean the one that has contributed most to enhancing the city in its broadest sense.
This can be read in several ways, and that is what makes the subject worthy of debate.
Will a case be made for the super-sustainable One Angel Square? Credit: Place North West
For some, “the most important” could simply be a matter of the bottom line, one that has contributed significantly to GDP or economic development. How much has it brought in through business rates, or how much has it been traded for?
For others, the most important could be something that blazed a trail and changed the thinking over what was thought to be deliverable for Manchester.
It could be a cultural project, something that opened up new opportunities and influenced the city’s direction.
Really, the big question is: what moved the city forwards?
We’re looking for your ideas here. Which buildings should be in the running? Let us know in the comments or by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Most Important Building. Be sure to justify your choice in the body of the email.
Just one note: the building must have been delivered in the last 100 years. That means Manchester Cathedral, Chetham’s Library, Manchester Town Hall, The Royal Exchange, and the like are off the table.
Ideas should be submitted by the end of Sunday 9 August.
We will then examine each of the contenders, making a case for why each project would make a worthy winner, and then it’s over to the voting readership.
We will launch the competition proper on 12 August, with voting open until 26 August. We will then publish the definitive, final report on 2 September.
To get the cogs whirring, we’ve got a few ideas.
Beetham Tower was the first of its kind in Manchester. Credit: PNW
Beetham Tower
In the early 2000s, Manchester was by no means pre-eminent among regional cities, many of which were advancing skyscraper projects to signify their confidence and global outlook. Most never got further than the drawing board. Beetham Tower laid down a marker. Great Jackson Street and the Age of Renaker followed.
The Daily Express Building is one of the most interesting in Manchester. Credit: Jim Stephenson via RDPR
Daily Express Building
How many buildings in Manchester are genuinely “iconic” items on the must-visit list of architecture nerds? The pride of Great Ancoats Street definitely ticks that box. Now billed simply as Express after a classy makeover, it remains a visual showstopper and a totem to its environs’ publishing heritage.
Fifty-odd and looking fine, City Tower is instantly recognisable. Credit: Place North West
City Tower
Along with its Piccadilly Plaza neighbours, the 30-storey tower overlooking Piccadilly Gardens may be the most instantly recognisable silhouette in the Mancunian built environment, certainly until Beetham. It remains a Modernist classic, subtly reinvented but still providing what remains a rare thing in the English regions – offices with a view from up high.
Could the Etihad be the most important building in Manchester? Credit: Photo/Map: Arne-Museler, arne-mueselerr.com; CC BY-SA 3.0 bit.ly/3Q1z4kf
City of Manchester Stadium aka The Etihad
To avoid stretching the definition too far, we’ll say the main stand, which was the nerve centre of Manchester’s 2002 Commonwealth Games. Without this event, and a creative solution to post-Games legacy that moved the historically-erratic Manchester City to Eastlands, Abu Dhabi may have spent its billions in Leeds, Newcastle or somewhere else.
Nobody said this was a beauty contest… 1PG does the job. Credit: Place North West
One Piccadilly Gardens
You may not love the design. You may hate everything about the 21st century update of the Gardens as a whole. Buuuut… let’s go back to 2005, when the Bank of New York’s inward investment requirement was in play – Leeds, Birmingham, and others in the frame. The instant availability of 1PG, due to developers being cajoled to speculate, paid off hugely. BNY expanded to Spinningfields in 2008, and is now signed for 200,000 sq ft at Noma. This scheme triggered a 20-year success story, a blue-chip, large-scale occupier making Manchester its UK home. Cash in the bank.
Is this confined to the city of Manchester? Media city and the relocation of the BBC to Salford is culturally and economically significant to the region.
By Anonymous
If it’s genuinely ‘the last 100 years’ as opposed to the last 25 years, then the CIS Tower (a 1960s skyscraper) and Manchester Central Library (not yet 100 years old(, plus the new M&S (and the associated changes to the surrounding area) after the 1996 bomb, should all get a look in.
Also, one that DIDN’T get built – the one on the corner of Princess St and Whitworth St, where what is now Manchester New Square sits. I think it was called ‘Origin’ and the big hole in the ground, surrounded by hoardings that lasted from 2008 well into the mid-2010s promising a development that was due prior to the Global Financial crisis but which never arrived, was a visible scar from the GFC. I think that Manchester City Council’s subsequent ‘build. build, build’ approach to residential sites in the city centre (and the resulting ‘city centre living’ boom) can in part be traced back to a feel from some at MCC during the GFC that ‘when this is over and developers start expressing an interest in the city centre again, we need to make the most of it’.
By Salfordian
Excellent choice of buildings for the list. One could add Deansgate South – Manchester’s tallest, and still the tallest in the UK outside of London.
Arndale House. Love-hate relationship. Looks like a gent’s, but also modern.
By Richy Rich
Manchester City centre is the city centre for Salford and north Trafford as well so a bit surprised no buildings are included from those areas.
By Anonymous
Have you taken a look at sunlight house models on empire state building
By Ivan
John Rylands library or the Manchester Town Hall
By Kathleen M Scoltock.
mantos
By andy
The town hall, obviously
By Idi
The Arndale – Maybe loved or hated but had certainly made its mark on the city. Taking up a latge chunk of the city centre its easily one of the most visited buildings and undoubtbly one of the most used buildings. The iconic office tower, its rebuilding after the IRA bomb and its cultural impact drawing people in from the region to shop and gather. Without it the city centre would be very different, in its streetscape but also how people experience retail and leisure in the city.
By Joey Mars
We’re confining this one to just Manchester, folks. Keep those suggestions coming.
By Julia Hatmaker
Maybe not the most important – but my favourite is the Toast Rack Building.
By Anonymous
The National Graphene Institute building can definitely be considered to be very important to Manchester, not sure if its made the waves it should have though.
By Anonymous
Beetham Tower seems like the obvious win, it was definitely the catalyst for the skyline we have today.
By Anonymous
For me it is the Express building but I love Urbis too. Sadly Urbis is cramped, which spoils the effect it could have had. Urbis needs to be in the centre of a decent landscaped area. The CIS is a good shout too, it looks very Chicagoan which has prevented it from dating.
By Elephant
Nothing Iconic
By Anonymous
I love CIS tower, Central library, Express building, City tower and Deansgate tower all is most important thing in life in land of Manchester 👍🏻
By G J Kitchener
Architecturally, the Civil Justice Centre, CIS Tower, Kendals, and the Daily Express Building all certainly stand out, but did any of them ‘move the city forward’?
Instead, I’d plump for Granada, Britain’s first purpose-built television studios and still in use today. Ralph Tubbs’ building itself was always a landmark, especially before its mast was removed, but, after a difficult start, Granada became probably the most important of all the independent television companies (I believe the FT once described it as the best commercial television company in the world) and it was the only one from the original franchise round to survive into the modern era.
Under the Bernsteins, Granada didn’t try to mimic what the London BBC offered, instead it produced high quality programmes which reflected Manchester and the north, and became the city’s creative hub after the Guardian upped sticks.
Commercial pressure may have diminished its quality in later years, but having Granada in the city probably helped to bring the BBC to the region too.
By Philip Hulme
If it’s genuinely ‘the last 100 years’ as opposed to the last 25 years, then the CIS Tower (a 1960s skyscraper)… should get a look in.
July 31, 2026 at 8:34 pm
By Salfordian
Agreed as it allowed for buildings taller than the town hall to exist in the centre. How that has been allowed to rip over the last 20 years
By MJC
CIS Tower
By Mr P
Toastrack – Why are PNW not investigating the reasons for its conversion and refurbishment having stalled?
By UnaPlanner
Good shout regarding the maligned 1 Piccadilly Gardens being a catalyst for bringing a large and long standing new blue chip occupier to the city. In a similar vein, 1 Spinningfields, despite replacing a valued heritage building
was the catalyst for the development of that whole part of the city and reinforced the city’s reputation as a prime office location in a period of time when large letting were few and far between.
I
By Anonymous
In pure architectural terms you must include one of the towering Edwardian warehouses and commercial buildings which really give the city a very distinctive and impressive feel, the impact of which has echoed down the ages in terms of how the city has no problem siting large imposing new buildings next to smaller older structures, unlike many other places. The townscape around whitworth street and Oxford road is so memorable and impactful. So on that basis I would nominate St James’ Buildings, Tootal House or Refuge Assurance.
By Anonymous
As someone who regularly took global foreign investors around the city in the 90’s, one development immediately came to mind: the radically repurposed Royal Exchange. Why this; because of the incredible juxtapositioning of the breathtaking Victorian trading floor and the so-called lunar module. It is my contention that the theatre is actually a new building that was simply built within an old one. Am I OK to put the theatre pod as my No.1 then?
By M101
Most iconic modern building: Beetham Tower.
Single building that has contributed most to Manchester’s economy: The Trafford Centre (Greater Manchester).
Single building within Manchester city centre: Manchester Central (appreciate the original station was build over 100 years ago, but the reimagining in the mid 80’s to create GMEX was a game changer to the city centre economy!
By Steve R
Anonymous @ 12.45. The Edwardian era ended in 1910!
By George V
Is Ringway’s second runway a building?
By Anonymous
What is GM’S greatest building? Rochdale Town Hall for me. A beautiful feminine structure.
By Elephant
Central Library. Iconic.
Did you throw in One Piccadilly Gardens in for a laugh? That would fall into the most hated building.
By Darren
Town Hall-built and designed by a Liverpudlian
By Anonymous
Good shout about the Royal Exchange. It’s the very defintion of two worlds colliding and was amazed when I first visited as a kid.
By Anonymous
@Anon 1:37, Waterhouse may have been born in Liverpool but he studied architecture in Manchester and set up his practice there before moving to London, ten years later.
By Watering House
My House!
By Withingtonian
For me it has to be the art deco delight that is the old Kendals building on Deansgate. Culturally significant and I’m sure it has brought in visitors and revenue for the city in its glory days.
By Bramhall Resident
There seems to be a common theme with famous Scousers jumping ship. Wonder why?
By Anonymous
Central Library definitely. If only buildings like that were done now
By Craig
St Michaels – the city’s first genuine 5* hotel, residential properties pushing new boundaries, the highest quality office space and an iconic shaped, Mancunian-hive clad building!
By Anonymous
No.1 Deansgate changed Manchester’s commercial trajectory. At a time when premium city-centre living barely existed, it created a market the city had never seen before, combining architecture, status and location to make central Manchester genuinely desirable as a place to live and invest. It proved that buyers would pay for quality, gave developers confidence to aim higher and helped unlock the residential economy that has since transformed the city. Beetham became the symbol, but No.1 Deansgate made the proposition believable.
By ST
Urbis now the National Football Museum?
By 3D Chess Player
I agree about the Royal Exchange the number 1 for me.
By Anonymous
What are the criteria? Important to the life of the city? Central Library together with the Town Hall Extension (and the gap between them)
Innovative architecture? Can we include the Piccadilly Hotel with its (flawed) hyperbolic paraboloid roof?
Best brutalist? UMIST’s Renold Building (now listed and famous – not really – for hosting the Manchester Press Office for the 1966 World Cup!). #
In terms of striking appearance (at the time) and “welcome to Manchester” location I’d throw in Gateway House (Lazy S) on the Piccadilly Station approach.
By Steve Parish
How about Greengate Manchester Victorian bath was designed by renowned company in 1855 it would be number one but I rather like Express building is my number one 👍🏻
By G J Kitchener
But hey … I love both Express building and Central library but it hard to choose the best one grrrrr
By G J Kitchener
The Bridgewater Hall was really the start of Manchester’s regeneration and the start pf a big gamble on culture…. which paid off until The Factory finally spread things way to thin.
By MainRoadMary
This is such an interesting question, but did initially remind me that we in Manchester don’t have any truly significant buildings. Unlike many other cities like Sydney, London, Paris, New York, Bilbao etc. But if I were to think of most important building, I would say the Beetham Tower. It’s no longer the tallest, but it did kickstart the modern skyscraper boom we are still in, which changed the face and whole vibe of Manchester. This building alone isn’t anything special architecturally (but then no tower in Manchester is, unlike so many other cities), but it did show we could be a modern, dynamic city and this is what Manchester is today.
By EOD
Empire state building is completed in 1931 just 5 years time and Central library is completed in 1934 will be 8 years time to special 100th anniversary which is pretty special but there no special at moment in Manchester.
By G J Kitchener
For me it’s the Express building , still looks modern and is a reminder of Manchester’s past as the newspaper capital of the north.
By Barry McCabe
Wow, absoluteyl no mention so far of the great Manchester Civil Justice Centre!! Justifiably (and I would say this!) the best example of contemporary architecture in Manchester AND its a public building……
By Graham from DCM
Surely our wonderful Cathedral is the most important building in Manchester with some of oldest part of any building. Such a beautiful amazing place.
By T'owd un
I’m still deliberating over which I think is Manchester’s most important building from the last 100 years. However, from your examples, I can say that One Piccadilly Gardens is possibly the worst prominent building for the city. Regardless of it bringing in a bluechip company, it’s position has simply destroyed such an important open space in the city centre, which is now irretrievable.
By Anon
“Is this confined to the city of Manchester? Media city and the relocation of the BBC to Salford is culturally and economically significant to the region.” – it’s a soulless enclave of the city devoid of life.
By Anonymous
Very few people outside of architecture fanatics are aware of the Civil Justice Centre or regard it as significant.
I think the reason for this is that it’s so hemmed in. The signature filing cabinet look is an interesting architectural device on each end but it was changed quite a lot from the initial concept design making it less impactful than it should have been and externally at least, it’s really only those two ends that have any impact and furthermore they’re only visible from a very limited number of viewpoints. Shame.
By Anonymous
Media City’s architecture might not be to everyone’s taste but it’s far from soulless
By Drama Queen
Re: Civil Justice Centre, I always thought the design could’ve been enhanced by the installation of trap doors in the overhangs and directly beneath the ‘dock’ in each courtroom, to be used for those found guilty of the worst offences!
By YIMBY
Manchester is an architectural wasteland unfortunately. The Beetham tower and all the other towers in Deansgate form a kind of glass and steel curtain that is very alienating and dehumanizing. The standards in design have plummeted over the years. I think Manchester would be better off with red brick residentials towers as is the case in Leeds.
I’m not against skyscrapers so long the designs are of high quality.
But one building that I find quite splendid and we need to see more buildings like this with stone cladding, it’s the future in my opinion, is Edwin Lutyens former Midland bank. Superb design.
By Jean de Paris
Who would ever want to visit Manchester for its architecture? People go there for its bars, football and music festivals. This has to change. Make Manchester great again by building better.
By Mike