Building Design Partnership - Mixed-Use Development - Manchester, The Shambles

Date: 12 Mar 2002

Another phase of The Shambles mixed use development in Manchester city centre was topped out on Tuesday 5 March (2002).

Masterplanned by BDP, with a new Harvey Nichols store and ten retail units designed by BDP, and a residential development at No 1 Deansgate by Ian Simpson Architects, the scheme will complete the transformation of the former Shambles West development in the city centre.

The Shambles retail development is being built for Prudential by contractor Bovis Lend Lease. The scheme has been developed in close co-operation with the City and with Harvey Nichols, together with Crosby Homes and the adjoining Marks & Spencer development which shares the service access. The coherent city block has three distinct elements; a prestigious department store, retail units including restaurants and a high rise residential development.

The design of the retail building continues the Manchester tradition of stone retail pavilions. Clad in natural stone, double height shopfronts animate the street frontages and projecting screens of terracotta cladding articulate the upper storeys. An expressive zinc clad projecting cornice completes the roofscape.
The principal facade on New Cathedral Street follows the gentle curve of the new street forming a natural amphitheatre of retailing. Each corner is articulated with a glazed tower in response to the towers of the Royal Exchange and the Corn Exchange.

The residential building is broken into two elements, a podium of retail and restaurants and a dramatic 14 storey glazed apartment tower. Architect for the retail scheme is Building Design Partnership working in conjunction with Connell Mott MacDonald Structural Engineer, WSP Services Group, Turner and Townsend and Arup Facade Engineering.

The shell construction for the retail units is due to be completed in the Autumn 2002. The new Harvey Nichols Department Store shell will be complete at the end of 2002 and is due to open in 2003.

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