1 Spinningfields

1 Spinningfields (formerly 1 Hardman Square) is a 90m office tower currently under construction in the Spinningfields district of Manchester city centre, Manchester in the United Kingdom.

The development was previously known as 1 Hardman Square which was a 140-metre skyscraper but was cancelled in 2009. The development was revived in 2014 with a 92-metre office tower and the revised design gained planning approval in May 2014. Demolition of the former building on the site, Quay House, began in early 2015 and construction of its replacement began shortly afterwards. ^[2]

Background

1 Hardman Square (2004-2013)

The skyscraper was first proposed in 2004, linking in with the new developments in the Spinningfields district of Manchester and the growth in proposals for skyscrapers in Manchester at the time. The Credit Crunch in 2008 paralysed the development market, particularly in the expensive sector of constructing skyscrapers.

In 2011, it was reported that developers of the tower, Allied London, were on the verge of sealing a £165m deal with German fund manager, Union Investment.^[3] As part of the deal, Union Investments will forward-purchase 1 Hardman Square, thus giving Allied London capital to construct the skyscraper.^[4] Construction of the skyscraper will be dependent on whether Allied London can sign up tenants for half the building, which could take up to two years as the economy recovers.^[5][6]

1 Spinningfields (2014-)

Following the news in 2011 that a deal to build a 350,000 sq ft office tower was possible, plans for such a scheme were finally released in January 2014 and submitted for planning permission. The 92 metre tower will contain 350,000 sq ft of Grade A office space over 20 storeys.^[7] The building will be Manchester's tallest office block since CIS Tower, constructed in 1962.^[8]

References