Manchester’s Changing Skyline

Nice pictures. Are there any more 'super tall' towers going up that you're aware of @jrb ?

We have a nice skyscraper hub around Deansgate, would be nice to balance it out with a few taller buildings around Ancoats.
 
hilts said:

Lazy sod:-)
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That's from 2016.

It takes in a lot more than just how city centres look, including cultural offerings, access to parks, etc etc.

I get your point that it doesn't on a global scale compare to many other cities in the world. Don't think anyone
was necessarily doing that though. Just felt a bit of a lazy and obvious throwaway comment, that's all.
 
Coatigan said:
That's from 2016.

It takes in a lot more than just how city centres look, including cultural offerings, access to parks, etc etc.

I get your point that it doesn't on a global scale compare to many other cities in the world. Don't think anyone
was necessarily doing that though. Just felt a bit of a lazy and obvious throwaway comment, that's all.
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It was in reply to a post saying it was a thing of beauty. That is all
 
Manchester gets some digs and it's far from perfect but it's such a fascinating city visually.

More so now these monoliths are going up especially when contrasted with the Victoriana.
 
hilts said:
It was in reply to a post saying it was a thing of beauty. That is all
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Fair enogh, wasn't looking for a bicker.

I think parts of it Are a thing of beauty. There are a few exciting developments, on top the historic ones. How other places compare, a separate discussion.
 
Manchester33 said:
Nice pictures. Are there any more 'super tall' towers going up that you're aware of @jrb ?

We have a nice skyscraper hub around Deansgate, would be nice to balance it out with a few taller buildings around Ancoats.
Click to expand...

There are rumours of a new tallest tower from Renaker on Great Jackson Street.(SSC-MCR) Nothing official in the public domain yet. As it’s Renaker, it‘s a real possibility. Manchester’s current tallest tower is South Tower, Deansgate Square, at 66 stories - 201 metres.

Another new tallest tower rumour which stemmed from a Place North West article, I think, is from Salboy(Fred Done) alongside Viadux - 40 stories, which is currently under construction. The original proposal was for an office, but that proposal has been replaced by a proposed residential tower. Nothing in the public domain yet.

Renaker are currently on-site at Trinity Island at the end of Regent Road doing ground works for a 60 storey tower and a 55 storey tower.
 
jrb said:
There are rumours of a new tallest tower from Renaker on Great Jackson Street.(SSC-MCR) Nothing official in the public domain yet. As it’s Renaker, it‘s a real possibility. Manchester’s current tallest tower is South Tower, Deansgate Square, at 66 stories - 201 metres.

Another new tallest tower rumour which stemmed from a Place North West article, I think, is from Salboy(Fred Done) alongside Viadux - 40 stories, which is currently under construction. The original proposal was for an office, but that proposal has been replaced by a proposed residential tower. Nothing in the public domain yet.

Renaker are currently on-site at Trinity Island at the end of Regent Road doing ground works for a 60 storey tower and a 55 storey tower.
Click to expand...
3e1470cac6106f5203999018d0c4b1ba.jpg
 
Just needs one iconic tower now. Something with a shape or size or both that when anyone from anywhere in the world looks at a picture of it knows it’s Manchester.

At the moment it could be anywhere, it’s all just a bit box generic. All the boxes are great to add to the mass, and it only needs one iconic tower (no need having loads of unusual towers).

Just one that looks something like that one on Whitworth Street but on a much bigger scale and even more unusual

18D5DB81-C177-4799-9389-8E95C6A30103.jpeg

Something like this but in glass and just that bit bigger than all the nice boxes that build up to this one. Something that gets the world talking and knocks us off our feet.

The big thing for me that needs to change most though is the streetscape.

The pavements, roads, walls at footfall level, bollards, signs, bus stops, Met stops, squares etc. all around the city centre all need a gigantic overhaul, updating, evening up and a proper fucking good cleaning up n’all.

At eye level, I think far too much of Manchester City centre is a shithole.
 
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Psychedelic Casual said:
Just needs one iconic tower now. Something with a shape or size or both that when anyone from anywhere in the world looks at a picture of it knows it’s Manchester.

At the moment it could be anywhere, it’s all just a bit box generic. All the boxes are great to add to the mass, and it only needs one iconic tower (no need having loads of unusual towers).

Just one that looks something like that one on Whitworth Street but on a much bigger scale and even more unusual

View attachment 62264

Something like this but in glass and just that bit bigger than all the nice boxes that build up to this one. Something that gets the world talking and knocks us off our feet.

The big thing for me that needs to change most though is the streetscape.

The pavements, roads, walls at footfall level, bollards, signs, bus stops, Met stops, squares etc. all around the city centre all need a gigantic overhaul, updating, evening up and a proper fucking good cleaning up n’all.

At eye level, I think far too much of Manchester City centre is a shithole.
Click to expand...

Boxed towers are cheaper to build. As such they generate more profit for a property developer. Manchester isn’t London or a capital city where property developers can throw money at iconic towers knowing they will still get a return and make a profit. Construction, material and labour costs have rocketed over the last few years. Manchester is a regional city punching well above it’s weight. Outside of London, Manchester has seen the most towers constructed in the last decade in the UK. No other UK regional city comes close to Manchester for new towers built. Basically, the returns and profit need to be there for an iconic tower to be built in Manchester.
 
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Psychedelic Casual said:
Just needs one iconic tower now. Something with a shape or size or both that when anyone from anywhere in the world looks at a picture of it knows it’s Manchester.

At the moment it could be anywhere, it’s all just a bit box generic. All the boxes are great to add to the mass, and it only needs one iconic tower (no need having loads of unusual towers).

Just one that looks something like that one on Whitworth Street but on a much bigger scale and even more unusual

View attachment 62264

Something like this but in glass and just that bit bigger than all the nice boxes that build up to this one. Something that gets the world talking and knocks us off our feet.

The big thing for me that needs to change most though is the streetscape.

The pavements, roads, walls at footfall level, bollards, signs, bus stops, Met stops, squares etc. all around the city centre all need a gigantic overhaul, updating, evening up and a proper fucking good cleaning up n’all.

At eye level, I think far too much of Manchester City centre is a shithole.
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The new one being developed by the company fronted by Neville should be that iconic tower because of its central location. Unfortunately it’s only going to be around 130 metres.
 
jrb said:
Boxed towers are cheaper to build. As such they generate more profit for a property developer. Manchester isn’t London or a capital city where property developers can throw money at iconic towers knowing they will still get a return and make a profit. Construction, material and labour costs have rocketed over the last few years. Manchester is a regional city punching well above it’s weight. Outside of London, Manchester has seen the most towers constructed in the last decade in the UK. No other UK regional city comes close to Manchester for new towers built. Basically, the returns and profit need to be there for an iconic tower to be built in Manchester.
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Or for the city to contribute on artistic grounds. An architectural competition would be appropriate.
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
Just needs one iconic tower now. Something with a shape or size or both that when anyone from anywhere in the world looks at a picture of it knows it’s Manchester.

At the moment it could be anywhere, it’s all just a bit box generic. All the boxes are great to add to the mass, and it only needs one iconic tower (no need having loads of unusual towers).

Just one that looks something like that one on Whitworth Street but on a much bigger scale and even more unusual

View attachment 62264

Something like this but in glass and just that bit bigger than all the nice boxes that build up to this one. Something that gets the world talking and knocks us off our feet.

The big thing for me that needs to change most though is the streetscape.

The pavements, roads, walls at footfall level, bollards, signs, bus stops, Met stops, squares etc. all around the city centre all need a gigantic overhaul, updating, evening up and a proper fucking good cleaning up n’all.

At eye level, I think far too much of Manchester City centre is a shithole.
Click to expand...
This is a fairly new tower in Bangkok, looks stunning

1669794964042.png
 
jrb said:
Boxed towers are cheaper to build. As such they generate more profit for a property developer. Manchester isn’t London or a capital city where property developers can throw money at iconic towers knowing they will still get a return and make a profit. Construction, material and labour costs have rocketed over the last few years. Manchester is a regional city punching well above its weight. Outside of London, Manchester has seen the most towers constructed in the last decade in the UK. No other UK regional city comes close to Manchester for new towers built. Basically, the returns and profit need to be there for an iconic tower to be built in Manchester.
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Don’t get me wrong, I think the boxes are good as they are staging the basis for that one iconic tower that’s needed to complete the skyline. It only needs one, just the one to stand out above the boxes which will all contribute to the mass.

But we do need that one otherwise the skyline is just too bland and generic.

Manchester has been punching well below its weight ever since the Manchester Ship Canal was completed. ‘What Manchester does today, the rest of the world goes tomorrow’ (Benjamin Disraeli), ‘have you seen Manchester? Manchester is as great a human exploit as Athens’ (Benjamin Disraeli), ‘Certainly, Manchester is the most wonderful city of modern times’ (Benjamin Disraeli).

We are a city of historic world importance and deserve an iconic skyline to go with our name. I get it’s all about money but we should be aiming higher. One Angel Square is the best modern building in the country, better than anything in London… that’s the sort of class we should be looking at for that final piece of the jigsaw, but eye catching to the skyline from a distance.

For me though, again, much more importantly than getting the skyline the city name deserves, the streetscape is of most importance in the shorter term. It needs a total revamp across the city.
 
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Psychedelic Casual said:
Just needs one iconic tower now. Something with a shape or size or both that when anyone from anywhere in the world looks at a picture of it knows it’s Manchester.

At the moment it could be anywhere, it’s all just a bit box generic. All the boxes are great to add to the mass, and it only needs one iconic tower (no need having loads of unusual towers).

Just one that looks something like that one on Whitworth Street but on a much bigger scale and even more unusual

View attachment 62264

Something like this but in glass and just that bit bigger than all the nice boxes that build up to this one. Something that gets the world talking and knocks us off our feet.

The big thing for me that needs to change most though is the streetscape.

The pavements, roads, walls at footfall level, bollards, signs, bus stops, Met stops, squares etc. all around the city centre all need a gigantic overhaul, updating, evening up and a proper fucking good cleaning up n’all.

At eye level, I think far too much of Manchester City centre is a shithole.
Click to expand...
Not massively iconic, I know, but when you see a picture of the Beetham Tower you know it's Manchester
 
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