Work starts on £25m Pall Mall revamp

Bruntwood SciTech’s plan to turn the grade two-listed Manchester building into a 90,000 sq ft innovation hub has commenced, with principal contractor Dragonfly on site.

The 1960s King Street office block will be getting an energy efficiency makeover as part of the project. This comprises the installation of air source heat pumps, smart electrical metering, smart building management systems, and mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems.

Each of the communal spaces will be net zero carbon in operation as well.

When work completes in 2025, Bruntwood SciTech hopes Pall Mall will have earned a BREEAM rating of Very Good and achieved EPC A.

In addition to the energy efficiency makeover, Pall Mall will get a new gym with changing facilities, a contemplation room, a lounge, and a library. An independent café will be introduced. Commuters will be able to charge their electric vehicles or store their bikes at the building’s cycle hub.

All of this will be done with a net zero construction programme, according to Bruntwood SciTech. This is partly helped by the fact that Bruntwood SciTech – a consortium made up of Bruntwood, Legal & General, and Greater Manchester Pension Fund – will be retaining Pall Mall’s original structure. This will save 7,900 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to the developer.

The workspace itself will vary from serviced offices to coworking spaces to leased workspace.

The revamp of the three interconnected towers was designed by Sheppard Robson. Ramboll is leading on the sustainability strategy, while DWLLP is the structural engineer. Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture is the heritage expert. Deloitte helped secure the project planning permission in 2022.

“Work commencing on our redevelopment of Pall Mall marks an important step in our mission to power economies through innovation, supporting Manchester to continue growing its support for the knowledge economy, and becoming a more environmentally sustainable city,” said Ciara Keeling, chief operating officer for Bruntwood SciTech.

She continued: “Core to our vision for the building is to develop a workspace that caters specifically to the needs of disruptors and innovators, whilst also remaining acutely conscious of our responsibility to champion the building’s heritage and inherent character.”

Savills and CBRE are the joint agents for Pall Mall, which is one of several workspace projects in the pipeline for Bruntwood SciTech. Others include No3 Circle Square, Citylabs 4.0, and the soon-to-start Greenheys scheme – all three in Manchester. Bruntwood SciTech has a target of achieving a £5bn portfolio by 2032.