Bruntwood SciTech’s £87m No3 Circle Square set for 2025 completion

Contractor GMI Construction is delivering the Manchester office building, which will feature 267,000 sq ft of workspace.

Developer Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, is eyeing an early 2025 completion date for the scheme.

No3 Circle Square will provide office space over 15 storeys on the corner of Brancaster Road and Princess Street.

Bridge Architects designed the office block, which has an estimated development value of £87m.

In addition to offices, No3 Circle Square will have ground floor retail and leisure space, as well as a communal lounge, event space, and a roof terrace.

Plans for No3 Circle Square were first approved in February 2020. Initial proposals were for 215,000 sq ft of offices and 6,300 sq ft of retail and leisure.

Manchester City Council approved the updated scheme last November, which includes a larger footprint, boosted sustainability credentials, and enhanced public realm.

GMI was appointed as contractor in February.

Marc Banks, GMI North West divisional managing director, said: “This contract win is a major statement in the market and underlines our intentions for the business in the North West and the UK.

“We look forward to demonstrating once again our track record in delivering state-of-the-art projects.”

No3 Circle Square forms the latest phase of Bruntwood SciTech’s tech campus on Manchester’s Oxford Road. The developer has already delivered 500,000 sq ft of offices across two buildings at Circle Square.

No1 and No2 Circle Square are fully occupied, with tenants including Disney Streaming, Autocab, and Octopus Energy. Roku is also a tenant, having taken 115,000 sq ft at No1 Circle Square. However the streaming company appointed Colliers last month to find a company to sublease 45,000 sq ft.

Bradley Topps, commercial director at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “With No1 and No2 now fully let, and a successful consultation period complete, it’s exciting to see work now commencing at No3.

“Our goal for Circle Square has always been to provide the perfect synergy between sustainable, high-quality workspaces and first-class amenities, and this latest development is in keeping with that ethos”, he continued.

“Bolstering the digital ecosystem within the Oxford Road Corridor will add vital capacity to Manchester’s knowledge economy and showcase the wider region as a diverse international base for innovative science and tech firms to thrive.”

To learn more about the plans for No3 Circle Square, search for application number 134288/FO/2022 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.