Mediacity:uk
Encyclopedia
MediaCityUK is a 200 acres (80.9 ha) mixed-use property development site at Salford Quays
on the banks
of the Manchester Ship Canal
in Salford
and Trafford
, England. The project is being developed by Peel Media, and its principal tenants are media
organisations. The land occupied by the development was part of the Port of Manchester
.
The BBC signalled its intention to move jobs to Manchester in 2004, and the Salford Quays site was chosen in 2006. The Peel Group was granted planning permission to develop the site in 2007, and construction of the development, with its own energy generation plant and communications network, began the same year. Based in Quay House, the principal tenant will be the BBC, whose move marks a large-scale decentralisation
from London. BBC Children's, BBC Radio 5 Live
, BBC Research and BBC Sport
are among the departments scheduled to relocate to the development. ITV
's Granada division plan to move from their Granada Studios
to MediaCityUK in 2012. The Studios on Broadway house seven high-definition studios, claimed to be the largest such facility in Europe.
MediaCityUK is to be developed in two phases. The 36 acres (14.6 ha) first phase was completed in 2011, and the second is dependent on its success. The Manchester Metrolink
was extended to MediaCityUK with the opening of the MediaCityUK Metrolink station on 20 September 2010, and further extensions are planned. Road access was improved by the construction of Broadway Link Road.
Salford Quays
, at the western end of the Manchester Ship Canal on the site of the former Manchester Docks
, became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom after the closure of the dockyards in 1982. It forms part of an area known as The Quays, a joint tourism initiative between Salford City Council
and Trafford Borough Council
, which also encompasses Trafford Wharf and Old Trafford, on the Manchester side of the ship canal. As well as Salford Quays, The Quays development includes The Lowry
Arts Centre and the Imperial War Museum North
.
A total of 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land have been earmarked for the development of MediaCityUK. The first phase of MediaCityUK's development was primarily focused on a 36 acres (14.6 ha) site at Pier 9 of Salford Quays. In 2010 it was announced that an ITV production centre would be built on Trafford Wharf in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.
, the BBC was considering moving whole channels or strands of production from London to Manchester. Early discussions involved a plan where the BBC would move to a new media village proposed by Granada Television
at its Bonded Warehouse site.
Proposals to relocate 1800 jobs to Manchester were unveiled by BBC Director General, Mark Thompson
, in December 2004. The BBC justified the move as its spending per head was low in Manchester, it had low approval ratings in the north and its facilities at New Broadcasting House
needed replacing. An initial list of 18 sites was narrowed to a short-list of four during 2005, two in Manchester – one at Quay Street, close to Granada Studios, and one on Whitworth Street and two in Salford – one close to the MEN Arena and one at Pier 9 on Salford Quays. The site at Salford Quays was chosen in June 2006 and the move north was conditional on a satisfactory licence fee
settlement from the government.
The chosen site was the last undeveloped site at Manchester Docks, an area that had been subject to considerable investment and was emerging as a tourist destination, residential and commercial centre. The vision of the developers Peel Group
, Salford City Council, the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company and the Northwest Regional Development Agency
was to create a significant new media city capable of competing on a global scale with developments in Copenhagen and Singapore.
Salford City Council granted planning consent for an outline application for a multi-use development on the site involving residential, retail and studio and office space in October 2006 Further consent for a detailed planning application followed in May 2007. In the same month, the BBC Trust
gave its approval to the moving of five London based departments to the development. The five BBC departments to be moved were Sport, Children's, Learning
, Future Media and Technology and Radio Five Live.
Construction started in 2007 with the site owner, Peel Group as developer and Bovis Lend Lease
as contractor. The media facilities opened in stages from 2007. The first facility being the Pie Factory, which was located in a refurbished bakery. It featured three large sound stages suitable for drama productions and commercials. In January 2011 Peel Media received planning permission to convert on-site offices used by Bovis Lend Lease during the construction of the first phase into the Greenhouse.
The first trial show took place in November 2010 in Studio HQ2. The half-hour test show featured a power failure and a fire drill, which involved a full evacuation of the audience and crew. The first programme filmed at MediaCityUK was Don't Scare the Hare
in February 2011, and the first to transfer was A Question of Sport
, the same month. BBC employees started transferring to the development in May 2011, a process that will take 36 weeks. BBC Director General Mark Thompson confirmed that up to a further 1000 jobs could be created or transferred to the site.
Channel 4
has expressed an interest in moving some activities to MediaCityUK. The BBC has stated that either BBC One
or BBC Two
could move to MediaCityUK by 2015 if the confirmed moves are successful.
and landscaped park, which stretches to the ship canal around which the buildings are located. The piazza's two distinct areas, The Green and The Stage are capable of holding events for up to 6500 people. In front of The Studios are the foundations for a free-standing big screen, which will be viewable from the piazza when it has been commissioned.
The BBC will occupy three buildings: Bridge House, Dock House, and Quay House, all designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre
. With simple forms intended to harmonise with their waterfront settings, the buildings provide 450000 square feet (41,806.4 m²) of accommodation.
The opening swing footbridge
at Salford Quays links MediaCityUK with Trafford Wharf on the southern bank of the ship canal. It was designed by Wilkinson Eyre in association with Gifford
. The bridge's main span is 213 feet (64.9 m) when open and provides a 157 feet (47.9 m) wide navigation channel accommodating ships' superstructures up to 66 feet (20.1 m) in height. The developers specified it to be “a unique and memorable landmark”. Its visibility is created by a curved bridge deck with an offset pivot mast and array of supporting cables in a fan or sail shape. It has seating benches and is lit at night. The bridge, constructed with funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, is the final link in a circular walking route connecting the development with The Lowry and Imperial War Museum North. It was officially opened by Rowan Williams
and John Sentamu
, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and was opened to the public in May 2011 after landscaping works were completed.
The development is powered by a gas-powered trigeneration
energy plant producing electricity for cooling and heating using water from the ship canal. It is more than twice as efficient as conventional grid electricity and helped the development gain BREEAM
sustainable community status. The communications network is one of the most advanced in the world, with more than 20 million metres of fibre optic cable capable of delivering the internet speeds required for media production.
The design of buildings at MediacityUK has been criticised by the editor of Building Design magazine, Ellis Woodman, who describes it as "a crazed accumulation of development in which every aimlessly gesticulating building sports at least three different cladding treatments. The overriding sense is one of extreme anxiety on the part of the architect. Quite how the BBC has stooped this low is hard to fathom." The development was awarded the Carbuncle Cup
by Building Design magazine for the worst new building in 2011.
that will be transferred from Granada Studios by 2013.
Satellite Information Services
(SIS), an occupant of The Pie Factory, will move production and engineering operations from London to manage the MediaCityUK Studios in a joint venture with Peel Media. In 2011 SIS awarded a £3 million contract to S3 Satcom and SATCOM Technologies for the provision of a nine earth station
broadcast teleport on Trafford Wharf which should enter service progressively during 2012. Antix Productions
moved into offices in The Greenhouse in 2011.
The University of Salford
moved its media-related teaching and research to the MediaCityUK site in October 2011. The move will controversially cost the university more than £2.25 million in rent per annum until 2020.
In 2008, Hope High School in Salford was taken over by Oasis Community Learning, an evangelical Christian organisation, and renamed Oasis Academy MediaCityUK; its new premises in Salford Quays, on the edge of the MediaCity UK site, are scheduled for completion in September 2012.
light rail system serving the development. It lies at the end of a 360 metre (0.22369418519393 mi) spur from the Eccles line, which was built as part of Phase 3 of the Metrolink expansion project. Trams will run to Cornbrook
via Harbour City
. Further expansion plans will see more lines added to the network in the next few years, including lines to Didsbury, Droylsden
and Rochdale
.
Vehicular access to The Quays has been improved by the construction of Broadway Link Road, which links the site to the M602 motorway
at junction 2, and by the provision of car parking. The high-rise 2116 space multi-storey car park was completed in August 2009. It is a pre-cast curved structure clad in a mixture of aluminium mesh panels and shaded aluminium tiles, comprising 11 floors of parking above the development's energy centre and commercial units.
Salford Quayslink, a high-frequency bus service, links Salford Crescent Station
and Salford Shopping City to MediaCityUK. Footpaths and cycleways to Manchester city centre and 300 cycle racks will encourage healthy and green ways of accessing the site.
Salford Quays
Salford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
on the banks
Bank (geography)
A geographic bank has four definitions and applications:# Limnology: The shoreline of a pond, swamp, estuary, reservoir, or lake. The grade can vary from vertical to a shallow slope....
of the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
in Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
and Trafford
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
, England. The project is being developed by Peel Media, and its principal tenants are media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
organisations. The land occupied by the development was part of the Port of Manchester
Port of Manchester
The Port of Manchester in North West England was created as a customs port on 1 January 1894, four months before the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal. It extended along the whole length of the canal, from Eastham in the west to Manchester in the east, absorbing the Port of Runcorn, which...
.
The BBC signalled its intention to move jobs to Manchester in 2004, and the Salford Quays site was chosen in 2006. The Peel Group was granted planning permission to develop the site in 2007, and construction of the development, with its own energy generation plant and communications network, began the same year. Based in Quay House, the principal tenant will be the BBC, whose move marks a large-scale decentralisation
Décentralisation
Décentralisation is a french word for both a policy concept in French politics from 1968-1990, and a term employed to describe the results of observations of the evolution of spatial economic and institutional organization of France....
from London. BBC Children's, BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, BBC Research and BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
are among the departments scheduled to relocate to the development. ITV
ITV plc
ITV plc is a British media company that operates 12 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom...
's Granada division plan to move from their Granada Studios
The Manchester Studios
The Manchester Studios is a television studio on Quay Street in Manchester with the facility to broadcast live and film drama programmes. The studios have been home to Granada Television since its inception in 1954...
to MediaCityUK in 2012. The Studios on Broadway house seven high-definition studios, claimed to be the largest such facility in Europe.
MediaCityUK is to be developed in two phases. The 36 acres (14.6 ha) first phase was completed in 2011, and the second is dependent on its success. The Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
was extended to MediaCityUK with the opening of the MediaCityUK Metrolink station on 20 September 2010, and further extensions are planned. Road access was improved by the construction of Broadway Link Road.
Location
Salford Quays
Salford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
, at the western end of the Manchester Ship Canal on the site of the former Manchester Docks
Manchester Docks
Manchester Dock and similar can mean:*"Manchester Docks" is another name for Salford Docks in Greater Manchester, England*Manchester Dock , an old dock in Liverpool, England...
, became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom after the closure of the dockyards in 1982. It forms part of an area known as The Quays, a joint tourism initiative between Salford City Council
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
and Trafford Borough Council
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
, which also encompasses Trafford Wharf and Old Trafford, on the Manchester side of the ship canal. As well as Salford Quays, The Quays development includes The Lowry
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England...
Arts Centre and the Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North is a museum in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. One of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum, the museum explores the impact of modern conflicts on people and society. It is the first branch of the Imperial War Museum to be...
.
A total of 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land have been earmarked for the development of MediaCityUK. The first phase of MediaCityUK's development was primarily focused on a 36 acres (14.6 ha) site at Pier 9 of Salford Quays. In 2010 it was announced that an ITV production centre would be built on Trafford Wharf in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.
Background
In 2003 reports emerged that, as part of the plans for the renewal of its Royal CharterRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, the BBC was considering moving whole channels or strands of production from London to Manchester. Early discussions involved a plan where the BBC would move to a new media village proposed by Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
at its Bonded Warehouse site.
Proposals to relocate 1800 jobs to Manchester were unveiled by BBC Director General, Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
, in December 2004. The BBC justified the move as its spending per head was low in Manchester, it had low approval ratings in the north and its facilities at New Broadcasting House
New Broadcasting House
New Broadcasting House is the home of the BBC on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre. The studios house BBC Manchester, BBC North, BBC North West, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Religion and Ethics department...
needed replacing. An initial list of 18 sites was narrowed to a short-list of four during 2005, two in Manchester – one at Quay Street, close to Granada Studios, and one on Whitworth Street and two in Salford – one close to the MEN Arena and one at Pier 9 on Salford Quays. The site at Salford Quays was chosen in June 2006 and the move north was conditional on a satisfactory licence fee
Television licence
A television licence is an official licence required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts...
settlement from the government.
The chosen site was the last undeveloped site at Manchester Docks, an area that had been subject to considerable investment and was emerging as a tourist destination, residential and commercial centre. The vision of the developers Peel Group
Peel Group
The Peel Group is a diversified real estate, transport and infrastructure investment company in the United Kingdom. It has assets owned and under management approaching £6 billion...
, Salford City Council, the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company and the Northwest Regional Development Agency
Northwest Regional Development Agency
The Northwest Regional Development Agency is the regional development agency for the North West England region and is a non-departmental public body.....
was to create a significant new media city capable of competing on a global scale with developments in Copenhagen and Singapore.
Salford City Council granted planning consent for an outline application for a multi-use development on the site involving residential, retail and studio and office space in October 2006 Further consent for a detailed planning application followed in May 2007. In the same month, the BBC Trust
BBC Trust
The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of licence fee payers....
gave its approval to the moving of five London based departments to the development. The five BBC departments to be moved were Sport, Children's, Learning
BBC Learning
BBC Learning can refer to the following:* A department within the BBC , part of BBC Vision* The portal website created by BBC Learning* A website created by BBC Worldwide-BBC Worldwide:...
, Future Media and Technology and Radio Five Live.
Construction started in 2007 with the site owner, Peel Group as developer and Bovis Lend Lease
Bovis Lend Lease
Lend Lease Project Management & Construction is the international project management and construction division of Lend Lease Group.-History:...
as contractor. The media facilities opened in stages from 2007. The first facility being the Pie Factory, which was located in a refurbished bakery. It featured three large sound stages suitable for drama productions and commercials. In January 2011 Peel Media received planning permission to convert on-site offices used by Bovis Lend Lease during the construction of the first phase into the Greenhouse.
The first trial show took place in November 2010 in Studio HQ2. The half-hour test show featured a power failure and a fire drill, which involved a full evacuation of the audience and crew. The first programme filmed at MediaCityUK was Don't Scare the Hare
Don't Scare the Hare
Don't Scare the Hare was a 2011 British television game show produced by Initial Scotland for the BBC, hosted by Jason Bradbury and narrated by Sue Perkins. The programme was aired on BBC One on Saturday evenings and was first transmitted on 23 April 2011, before the first episode of the 6th series...
in February 2011, and the first to transfer was A Question of Sport
A Question of Sport
A Question of Sport is a long-running BBC quiz show which started on 2 December 1968 and continues to this day. It is currently recorded at The Studios, MediaCityUK...
, the same month. BBC employees started transferring to the development in May 2011, a process that will take 36 weeks. BBC Director General Mark Thompson confirmed that up to a further 1000 jobs could be created or transferred to the site.
Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
has expressed an interest in moving some activities to MediaCityUK. The BBC has stated that either BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
or BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
could move to MediaCityUK by 2015 if the confirmed moves are successful.
Buildings and facilities
Traditional street names are not used in the development. The main thoroughfares are styled blue, white, pink, yellow, orange, purple and green where street furniture and coloured ambient lighting will be colour-coded to match. A stylised map of the site has been devised. Landscape architects, Gillespies regenerated the brownfield site to create public spaces. The focal point is a piazzaPiazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
and landscaped park, which stretches to the ship canal around which the buildings are located. The piazza's two distinct areas, The Green and The Stage are capable of holding events for up to 6500 people. In front of The Studios are the foundations for a free-standing big screen, which will be viewable from the piazza when it has been commissioned.
The BBC will occupy three buildings: Bridge House, Dock House, and Quay House, all designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre
Wilkinson Eyre
Wilkinson Eyre Architects is an international architecture firm based in London, England. The firm won the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize two years in a row...
. With simple forms intended to harmonise with their waterfront settings, the buildings provide 450000 square feet (41,806.4 m²) of accommodation.
- Quay House is the BBC's 135000 square feet (12,541.9 m²) main building from where BBC BreakfastBBC BreakfastBBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
, Match of the DayMatch of the DayMatch of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
, North West Tonight and BBC Radio 5 Live will be broadcast. - Bridge House will be where Blue PeterBlue PeterBlue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, MastermindMastermind (TV series)Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
, Dragons DenDragons' Den (UK)Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
and BBC Bitesize are produced. - Dock House will contain the BBC's Research and Religion and Ethics departments.
- Orange is an 11-storey building, designed by architects Sheppard RobsonSheppard, Robson and PartnersSheppard Robson is an architecture firm founded in 1938 by Sir Richard Herbert Sheppard and responsible for the design of over eighty schools, as well as buildings at Loughborough University, the University of Leicester, Brunel University, City University, the University of Durham, the University...
. It is a glazed structure with four types of cladding, including one made of folded aluminiumAluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
in a diamond pattern. It will house departments from Salford University and on seven floors, staff from ITV Granada.
- The Studios on Broadway, contain seven high-definitionHigh-definition videoHigh-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
studios, claimed by Peel Media to be the largest such facility in Europe. The largest has an area of 12500 square feet (1,161.3 m²), making it one of the biggest in western Europe. Fitting began in 2010 at a cost of £22 million, in time for the BBC's move in summer 2011. The seven studios vary in size; the large studios are on the ground floor, and the smaller studios on the first floor. The larger of two audio studios, sitting on hydraulic jacks to insulate it from noise generated in the surrounding studios, is dedicated to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The studio block contains offices and the glass-fronted, 16-storey Holiday InnHoliday InnHoliday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
hotel.
- The Pie Factory occupies the former Freshbake factory, which after closing in 2006, was converted by Peel Media into a TV, film and commercial production facility. The bakery's facilities were renovated into three sound stages, anxilliary and office space. It opened in 2007 and was the first working studio complex at MediaCityUK.
- The Greenhouse designed by architects Stephenson BellRoger StephensonRoger Stephenson OBE is an acclaimed English architect and one of the partners of Stephenson Bell Architects in Manchester, England.-Background:Stephenson studied architecture at the Liverpool University School of Architecture...
, is a refurbished three-storey office block that has been converted into small, flexible office suites for small companies in the media and creative industries.
- TheHeart and NumberOne are the residential elements of the development, providing 378 apartments in two tower blocks. TheHeart is a 22-storey apartment building on the quayside and NumberOne, another 22-storey building, is next to the studio facilities.
The opening swing footbridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
at Salford Quays links MediaCityUK with Trafford Wharf on the southern bank of the ship canal. It was designed by Wilkinson Eyre in association with Gifford
Gifford (company)
Gifford is part of the Ramboll Group, providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for buildings, infrastructure and the environment.- History :...
. The bridge's main span is 213 feet (64.9 m) when open and provides a 157 feet (47.9 m) wide navigation channel accommodating ships' superstructures up to 66 feet (20.1 m) in height. The developers specified it to be “a unique and memorable landmark”. Its visibility is created by a curved bridge deck with an offset pivot mast and array of supporting cables in a fan or sail shape. It has seating benches and is lit at night. The bridge, constructed with funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, is the final link in a circular walking route connecting the development with The Lowry and Imperial War Museum North. It was officially opened by Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
and John Sentamu
John Sentamu
John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu is the 97th Archbishop of York, Metropolitan of the province of York, and Primate of England. He is the second most senior cleric in the Church of England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.-Life and career:...
, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and was opened to the public in May 2011 after landscaping works were completed.
The development is powered by a gas-powered trigeneration
Trigeneration
Trigeneration, also called CCHP , refers to the simultaneous generation of electricity, useful heating and useful cooling from the same original heat source such as fuel or solar energy...
energy plant producing electricity for cooling and heating using water from the ship canal. It is more than twice as efficient as conventional grid electricity and helped the development gain BREEAM
BREEAM
BRE Environmental Assessment Method is a voluntary measurement rating for green buildings that was established in the UK by the Building Research Establishment . Since its inception it has since grown in scope and geographically, being exported in various guises across the globe...
sustainable community status. The communications network is one of the most advanced in the world, with more than 20 million metres of fibre optic cable capable of delivering the internet speeds required for media production.
The design of buildings at MediacityUK has been criticised by the editor of Building Design magazine, Ellis Woodman, who describes it as "a crazed accumulation of development in which every aimlessly gesticulating building sports at least three different cladding treatments. The overriding sense is one of extreme anxiety on the part of the architect. Quite how the BBC has stooped this low is hard to fathom." The development was awarded the Carbuncle Cup
Carbuncle Cup
The Carbuncle Cup is an architecture prize, given annually by the magazine Building Design to "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months". The award was based on an idea created by the Scottish architecture magazine Prospect, which has run the Carbuncle Awards since...
by Building Design magazine for the worst new building in 2011.
BBC
In total approximately BBC staff will be employed at MediaCity. In July 2010 it was announced that the BBC Breakfast programme would move to Salford Quays. It is claimed that the development will create up to jobs and add £1bn to the regional economy over 5 years. In 2009 the BBC estimated that the move would cost up to £1 billion.ITV
ITV was interested in relocating but negotiations with the developers, Peel Media, were abandoned in 2009 amid a financial dispute. After a change of management at ITV, talks resumed in January 2010 and in December the decision to move to MediaCityUK was announced. A production facility will be constructed on Trafford Wharf to house the Coronation Street setsCoronation Street sets
The sets of the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street have changed since first broadcast in December 1960. The current set is based at Granada Studios backlot in Manchester city centre....
that will be transferred from Granada Studios by 2013.
Others
There is a diverse mix of about 40 service companies, along with small companies offering ancillary services such as casting and camera hire, which occupy The Pie Factory and The Greenhouse.Satellite Information Services
Satellite Information Services
Satellite Information Services is a company which provides news gathering services and broadcasts events such as Horse Racing and Greyhound Racing, as well as Lottery games such as Rapido and 49's, to betting shops in the United Kingdom and Ireland and other Worldwide destinations.It was formed in...
(SIS), an occupant of The Pie Factory, will move production and engineering operations from London to manage the MediaCityUK Studios in a joint venture with Peel Media. In 2011 SIS awarded a £3 million contract to S3 Satcom and SATCOM Technologies for the provision of a nine earth station
Earth station
A ground station, earth station, or earth terminal is a terrestrial terminal station designed for extraplanetary telecommunication with spacecraft, and/or reception of radio waves from an astronomical radio source. Ground stations are located either on the surface of the Earth, or within Earth's...
broadcast teleport on Trafford Wharf which should enter service progressively during 2012. Antix Productions
Antix Productions
Antix Productions is a television production company founded by Yvette Fielding and Karl Beattie in 2001. The company have produced shows for broadcasters such as Living and ITV in the UK and Travel Channel in the USA...
moved into offices in The Greenhouse in 2011.
The University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
moved its media-related teaching and research to the MediaCityUK site in October 2011. The move will controversially cost the university more than £2.25 million in rent per annum until 2020.
In 2008, Hope High School in Salford was taken over by Oasis Community Learning, an evangelical Christian organisation, and renamed Oasis Academy MediaCityUK; its new premises in Salford Quays, on the edge of the MediaCity UK site, are scheduled for completion in September 2012.
Transport
The MediaCityUK Metrolink station opened on 20 September 2010, part of the Manchester MetrolinkManchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
light rail system serving the development. It lies at the end of a 360 metre (0.22369418519393 mi) spur from the Eccles line, which was built as part of Phase 3 of the Metrolink expansion project. Trams will run to Cornbrook
Cornbrook Metrolink station
Cornbrook Metrolink station is located on the north side of Cornbrook Road between the A56 Chester Road dual carriageway and Pomona Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal. It is built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee approach to Manchester Central....
via Harbour City
Harbour City Metrolink station
Harbour City Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Salford Quays area. This station serves passengers travelling to the Lowry, The Imperial War Museum North and Lowry Outlet Mall. The station is near to MediaCityUK, the proposed site for the BBC's North West operations.The...
. Further expansion plans will see more lines added to the network in the next few years, including lines to Didsbury, Droylsden
Droylsden Metrolink station
Droylsden Metrolink Station is a future station under construction as part of Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink, and will serve the town of Droylsden in Greater Manchester...
and Rochdale
Rochdale Metrolink station
Rochdale Town Centre Metrolink Station is a future station in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink to be located in Rochdale by the bus station in Smith Street. It will be complete in the year 2014.-External links:*...
.
Vehicular access to The Quays has been improved by the construction of Broadway Link Road, which links the site to the M602 motorway
M602 motorway
The M602 motorway is a relatively short motorway, leading traffic into Manchester and Salford by-passing the suburban town of Eccles.The motorway itself was meant to be a part of a bigger scheme, the South Lancashire Motorway...
at junction 2, and by the provision of car parking. The high-rise 2116 space multi-storey car park was completed in August 2009. It is a pre-cast curved structure clad in a mixture of aluminium mesh panels and shaded aluminium tiles, comprising 11 floors of parking above the development's energy centre and commercial units.
Salford Quayslink, a high-frequency bus service, links Salford Crescent Station
Salford Crescent railway station
Salford Crescent is one of two railway stations in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The other station is Salford Central.The station is west of Manchester Victoria and west of Manchester Piccadilly...
and Salford Shopping City to MediaCityUK. Footpaths and cycleways to Manchester city centre and 300 cycle racks will encourage healthy and green ways of accessing the site.