UNIVERSAL SQUARE, MANCHESTER.
The former GUS headquarters office complex located on Devonshire Street is a familiar sight for rail commuters, as it stands next to the railway less than one mile from Piccadilly station. In June 2005, the property was acquired by Northern Way Properties from Littlewoods Shop Direct who continue to occupy a reducing part of the site on short term leases, as part of their relocation strategy.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Following purchase, Northern Way Properties commissioned the Manchester office of John McAslan and Partners to investigate the redevelopment potential of the seven and a half acre site. Their brief was to develop an appropriate architectural response that would regenerate, re-brand and rejuvenate the existing five interlinked buildings and improve and enhance the wider context. Manchester has many post war buildings that, although tired and undistinguished have considerable potential for continued use. In these circumstances, demolition and redevelopment does not make financial sense. This is particularly the case for Universal Square, as it continues to provide over 280,000 square feet of head office grade space.
MASTER-PLANNING
A range of tactics were employed to release the potential of the site. There are now only two access points to the whole site, to ensure that pedestrian and vehicle movements are easy, secure and separate. The secure existing boundaries have been enhanced by twenty-four hour manned security and state of the art CCTV. A covered vehicle drop-off point has been provided next to the remodelled and greatly enlarged main reception, giving twenty-four hour access to all five buildings, the new restaurant, shop, fitness centre and meeting rooms.
An ill-designed central car park has been replaced by high quality landscaping, bringing a touch of Pennine hill-forest to Manchester. The forty semi-mature Scots Pine trees under-planted with Ferns and Rhododendrons surrounding a bespoke water-feature aren’t just a stunning visual statement but they provide shade and help to tackle climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. They are a talisman for how urban development can be enhanced by welcoming in, rather than replacing nature. The lush courtyard space creates an oasis from the urban rigidity of the site and surrounding context and has proved very popular with the occupiers and visitors to the site.
Overall, the project has been a lesson in lateral thinking, adding value and extracting opportunities from what has long been considered a compromised site.
TRANSPORT
The site is ideally placed to take advantage of Manchester’s transport links, being less than a mile from Piccadilly and next to Ardwick Station. Two high-quality bus corridors run within a few hundred yards and the Mancunian Way and inner-city ring road is close by resulting in the site being readily accessible via both public and private means.
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
The commercial success of the scheme is now apparent, with over 160,000 square foot of lettings to fifty different organisations. The occupiers include Cartel Client Review, Manchester Working, Manchester College and a wide variety of others drawn from different sectors of commerce. This shows the attraction of contemporary head-office grade space has been irresistible to businesses requiring a central location, good connectivity, excellent accessibility, huge staff and visitor car parks and all without the burden of city centre rents.