Islington Warf

Building: Islington Warf
Location: Manchester, U.K.

Contractor: Laing O’Rourke
Architect: Broadway Malyan

Summary

Islington Wharf is a vibrant waterside community, creating a stunning gateway to New Islington, Manchester’s Millennium Community. Consisting of a landmark tower and other lower-rise buildings, the overall masterplan provides 541 apartments, a food store, retail and leisure units and secure car parking underneath a podium, which provides a private garden area. One of Manchester’s defining attributes is the red sandstone, from which many of its buildings were built and its canals carved. The scheme incorporates this, featuring a striking 21-storey tower building in red sandstone and copper. The splayed sandstone shards provide the majority of apartments with southerly views towards the canal basin, while also giving the tower its distinctive profile. The other individual buildings respond to the canal side and street frontages with a modern take on the mill typology, common in these parts, all orientated to maximise views out over the canal.

Glass

A multi-cantilevered scheme incorporating large IGU's and Curtain Walling. Stringent solar control requirements, U-values and demanding acoustic performance were required in the 21-storey tower.

Details

With sustainability at the heart of the project, the development was designed to achieve an EcoHomes excellent rating as well as meet the client’s own sustainability goals. To the side of the apartment block is a cottage with traditional features at the side of the canal, mixed with the brand-new build combines the old canal shipping history with the modern glass building which makes this re-generation area something to talk about and visit.