Manchester City Council has granted planning permission for two pioneering office buildings at the heart of NOMA.
The new buildings, 2 and 3 Angel Square, jointly deliver around 440,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, providing a new benchmark for sustainability, wellbeing, smart connectivity and flexible use of amenity spaces.
Designed by architects Cartwright Pickard to connect with the public realm around NOMA, and to encourage collaboration and interaction, the new buildings will be net zero carbon operational energy, targeting BREEAM Outstanding and targeting a five star NABERS rating.
Other features include: a potential rooftop restaurant, stunning garden terraces including a water feature, a piano nobile terrace overlooking Angel Square and lower and upper ground floor commercial retail uses.
Dan Hyde, Development Director at real estate asset manager and developer MEPC which is delivering the NOMA masterplan, said: “This is a fantastic step forward for NOMA and a huge vote of confidence in our vision for a people-focused city centre neighbourhood which celebrates Manchester’s rich heritage while embracing innovation and sustainability.
“There is a real need for high quality office spaces in central Manchester, but it’s key that these spaces provide sustainable working environments and green areas in order to attract and retain the next generation of occupiers – this is exactly what these buildings and the surrounding NOMA estate provides.
“We are now ready to move forward with our ambitious plans to provide sector-leading sustainability credentials in Grade A office space that’s truly environmentally friendly for today and tomorrow.”
Standing 14 storeys in height, 2 Angel Square will deliver 197,926 sq ft of office space and a further 17,200 sq ft of potential commercial space on the top floor. 3 Angel Square will be 13 storeys, delivering 241,531 sq ft of Grade A office space and 22,690 sq ft of commercial space.
2 and 3 Angel Square will complement the landmark 1 Angel Square, and 4 Angel Square, which is due to be completed in early 2023 and is Manchester city centre’s most sustainable and smart enabled speculative development.
Peter Cartwright, Founding Director at Cartwright Pickard said: “This proposal has been driven from the outset by its context and an ambition to create the next generation in sustainable office development. Through thorough analysis and regular dialogue with Manchester City Council, we believe 2 and 3 Angel Square will be positive additions to the area, working harmoniously with the historic fabric of the NOMA heritage estate area, but also as a striking, contemporary intervention in the NOMA masterplan. We are delighted that the scheme has been granted planning permission and we look forward to getting on and building these buildings.”
The façade of the buildings will be in keeping with the heritage buildings in the NOMA estate, and use glazed, angled terracotta panels, which will reflect different colours as the sunlight reflects on them at different times of the day.
Wellbeing is at the heart of the design, with excellent levels of natural light and access to outdoor space for office workers.
More than 250 cycle spaces are planned for across the two buildings as well as facilities to encourage active travel.
By using the east-west level change to their advantage, the design team have effectively ‘buried’ amenities such as cycle storage, waste facilities and car parking in the lower part of the site.
It is predicted that the development of 2 and 3 Angel Square will create 4,400 new jobs once complete and employ around 400 construction workers whilst on site. Work is due to start following completion of 4 Angel Square.
