Inacity Tower
Encyclopedia
The Piccadilly Tower is a major development designed by Woods Bagot
that is currently on hold whilst under construction in Manchester city centre
, England
.
with a height of 188 m (617 ft). If completed according to the original proposals, the building will become the tallest building in Manchester and the tallest building in the UK outside London
(a title currently held by Beetham Tower, Manchester
).
The tower will provide 420 residential units and a 220 bed hotel, as well as a fitness centre, conference facilities, restaurants and bars. New public walkways will be constructed along the Ashton Canal
, which is adjacent to the site. A car park will be constructed in the three underground floors, with 349 residential spaces and 400 spaces in an NCP
. There will also be a 17-storey "East build" section at the side of the main tower, with retail/commercial/residential occupancy on floors -2 through to 1, and residential units on floors 2 through 17.
The site was previously an NCP car park on a railway viaduct located to the rear of Piccadilly Station
between Store Street and Ducie Street. It was purchased by Inacity for £14 million in 2003. The proposal for the building was submitted by Inacity in 2004 and was approved one year later, in March 2005. The total cost of the development is expected to be £220 million.
The project was originally a joint venture between Inacity and Merepark, but the venture has since been sold to Irish property developers Ballymore, with Inacity retaining a small share. This will be Ballymore's first development in the Manchester area. The top four floors of the building will be occupied by Wayne Mellor, the chairman of Inacity.
As of 1 November 2009, work began on the site again, with diggers clearing the asphalt in order to make the car park more permanent. However, though said fixtures and fittings are in place, the site remains fenced off and has not been used as a car park since its conversion. It is unclear whether this is being done as a result of planning requirements, or whether this would indicate that the project is to be delayed for some considerable time to come.
Woods Bagot
Woods Bagot is a global design studio specialising in the design and planning of facilities across three key sectors: education and science, lifestyle, and workplace....
that is currently on hold whilst under construction in Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Design and planning
The development will provide a 58-storey skyscraperSkyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
with a height of 188 m (617 ft). If completed according to the original proposals, the building will become the tallest building in Manchester and the tallest building in the UK outside London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(a title currently held by Beetham Tower, Manchester
Beetham Tower, Manchester
Beetham Tower is a landmark 47-storey residential skyscraper in Manchester city centre, England. Completed in 2006, it is named after the developers, Beetham Organization, was designed by Ian Simpson, and built by Carillion....
).
The tower will provide 420 residential units and a 220 bed hotel, as well as a fitness centre, conference facilities, restaurants and bars. New public walkways will be constructed along the Ashton Canal
Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in North West England.-Route:The Ashton leaves the Rochdale Canal at Ducie St. Junction in central Manchester, and climbs for through 18 locks, passing through Ancoats, Holt Town, Bradford-with-Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw, Droylsden,...
, which is adjacent to the site. A car park will be constructed in the three underground floors, with 349 residential spaces and 400 spaces in an NCP
National Car Parks
National Car Parks is the United Kingdom’s largest private car park operator, with over 200,000 spaces across more than 700 locations in towns and cities, railway stations and at airports....
. There will also be a 17-storey "East build" section at the side of the main tower, with retail/commercial/residential occupancy on floors -2 through to 1, and residential units on floors 2 through 17.
The site was previously an NCP car park on a railway viaduct located to the rear of Piccadilly Station
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
between Store Street and Ducie Street. It was purchased by Inacity for £14 million in 2003. The proposal for the building was submitted by Inacity in 2004 and was approved one year later, in March 2005. The total cost of the development is expected to be £220 million.
The project was originally a joint venture between Inacity and Merepark, but the venture has since been sold to Irish property developers Ballymore, with Inacity retaining a small share. This will be Ballymore's first development in the Manchester area. The top four floors of the building will be occupied by Wayne Mellor, the chairman of Inacity.
Construction
Groundwork for the tower started in January 2008, and was expected to be completed in August 2008. The work consists of demolishing the 8 m tall arches currently occupying the site, the redirection of a sewer passing through the site, and the construction of a 19 m deep concrete retaining wall to the north, where the site is adjacent to a canal.Postponement
On 8 September 2008, joint developers Inacity announced the project had been put on hold due to the financial crisis of 2007–2010, and construction would not resume until the economy stabilised. As a result, the site was converted back to a carpark.As of 1 November 2009, work began on the site again, with diggers clearing the asphalt in order to make the car park more permanent. However, though said fixtures and fittings are in place, the site remains fenced off and has not been used as a car park since its conversion. It is unclear whether this is being done as a result of planning requirements, or whether this would indicate that the project is to be delayed for some considerable time to come.