Manchester’s Changing Skyline

[RadcliffeRick]

All over the world we are creating boring buildings, I don't think people in the future will get enjoyment from these rectangles of glass and steel. Just compare the new buildings with some of the old ones that are (hopefully) still around Manchester. To name a few that are worth a look, Manchester Town Hall, Corn exchange, Refuge building, Royal Exchange. Look at those old buildings, they were built with a sense of grandeur, not pile it high and sell it cheap that we are building today.

 

[burning blue soul]

Modern high-rise architecture is so non-descript and plain these days. Make a social statement, Architects, for fuck sake!!! The fucking slab is gonna be there for a century.

 

[MikeF]

Funny but I’ve been watching Billions on tv recently and it starts with a view of New York and even New York looks quite bland when you break it down. Just a mass of glass and concrete but for the odd exception.

Sadly, there’s not many modern buildings in the world that have the wow factor.

Not to say we couldn’t have one though! Architects just need to up their game.

 

[jrb]

Wouldn’t it be great if we could go back to Victorian times and build beautiful, grand and ornate buildings once again. Buildings that were sadly destroyed by German bombers or demolished by property developers. Rich Victorians, which there were plenty of in Manchester, due to the cotton trade, were constantly demolishing wonderful looking buildings, only to replace them with equally wonderful looking buildings, which were more ornate and grander.

Sadly we live in different times. Thankfully Manchester has many wonderful Victorian buildings still standing, which stand side by side with many good looking modern buildings. Bar London there isn’t a city in the UK that has such a wonderful mixture of old and new buildings standing side by side, creating an interesting and vibrant city centre streetscape.

As for the new towers in Manchester. It’s all subjective of course. I think there are some good looking towers that have gone up. Sadly there are some poor looking towers as well. With so many towers going up in Manchester there was always going to be a mixture of good and poor looking towers. But that’s the same in any city in the world. There isn’t a city in the world that has nothing but good looking towers.

 

[JASR]

Wouldn’t it be great if we could go back to Victorian times and build beautiful, grand and ornate buildings once again. Buildings that were sadly destroyed by German bombers or demolished by property developers. Rich Victorians, which there were plenty of in Manchester, due to the cotton trade, were constantly demolishing wonderful looking buildings, only to replace them with equally wonderful looking buildings, which were more ornate and grander.

Sadly we live in different times. Thankfully Manchester has many wonderful Victorian buildings still standing, which stand side by side with many good looking modern buildings. Bar London there isn’t a city in the UK that has such a wonderful mixture of old and new buildings standing side by side, creating an interesting and vibrant city centre streetscape.

As for the new towers in Manchester. It’s all subjective of course. I think there are some good looking towers that have gone up. Sadly there are some poor looking towers as well. With so many towers going up in Manchester there was always going to be a mixture of good and poor looking towers. But that’s the same in any city in the world. There isn’t a city in the world that has nothing but good looking towers.

I like brick, probably due to the amount of mills around Manchester, but it seems to be ignored a lot, just googling there’s a few decent modern brick clad building about.
Eg

Symphony Building, Zuidas, Amsterdam, The Netherlands « URBAN CAPTURE | Travel & Photography

www.urbancapture.com

And

Brick Bulletin - The Brick Development Association

 

[urban genie]

I like brick, probably due to the amount of mills around Manchester, but it seems to be ignored a lot, just googling there’s a few decent modern brick clad building about.
Eg

Symphony Building, Zuidas, Amsterdam, The Netherlands « URBAN CAPTURE | Travel & Photography

www.urbancapture.com

And

Brick Bulletin - The Brick Development Association

I agree with you, Kampus is a much more pleasant as a new build in the city center than castlefields metal and glass eyesores.

 

[jrb]

I like brick, probably due to the amount of mills around Manchester, but it seems to be ignored a lot, just googling there’s a few decent modern brick clad building about.
Eg

Symphony Building, Zuidas, Amsterdam, The Netherlands « URBAN CAPTURE | Travel & Photography

www.urbancapture.com

And

Brick Bulletin - The Brick Development Association

There are lots of new midrise brick buildings going up in New Cross.

Poplin - 12 stories - New Cross

GMI Construction - Linkedin





The same in the NQ, Ancoats and New Islington.

They won’t win any awards, but the midrise brick apartments in Middlewood Locks look alright. (with balconies)

 

[jrb]

I agree with you, Kampus is a much more pleasant as a new build in the city center than castlefields metal and glass eyesores.

Yes, Kampus looks superb. If anyone is in town and has a few spare minutes, it’s well worth a look around.

KAMPUS Apartments / Mecanoo

Completed in 2021 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Images by Greg Holmes Photography. KAMPUS is a new neighbourhood located at the former Manchester Metropolitan University campus in the heart of the city. Utilising the qualities of...

www.archdaily.com

 

[jrb]

One thing to note from those 2 pictures which is being replicated all over the city centre by property developers is the landscaping, trees, planting, greenery, etc.

 

[jrb]

@AndrewStuart - Twitter

You can see the First Breath light beam in the picture.