Overseas House to become Deansgate&Quay

Bruntwood is planning a £4.5m redevelopment of Overseas House in Manchester city centre, renaming it Deansgate&Quay and providing 52,122 sq ft of 'contemporary office space with a fashionable New York feel'.

The project includes construction of a basketball court adjacent to the building for the use of occupiers.

Situated on the corner of Deansgate and Quay Street, the building was constructed in 1974 and was once home to British Airways, whose historic Manchester to New York route has provided the inspiration to the design of the new reception space.

Once completed, the redeveloped building will provide open plan office space across six floors, offering individual floor plates of 8,687 sq ft.

The architect is Sheppard Robson.

Peter Crowther, development director at Bruntwood, said: "The refurbishment plans for Deansgate&Quay embody the latest in Bruntwood's on-going evolution in workplace design.

"By incorporating urban design features that are rarely found in the heart of Manchester's commercial district, we hope to create a contemporary and inspiring workplace for all types of professionals which challenges the idea of a normal office environment, whilst still offering quality accommodation in a well-connected locality."

Tony O'Brien, partner and design director at Sheppard Robson, said: "This is an exciting project for Bruntwood and we have worked closely with the team to design a new entrance to Overseas House which will provide a distinctive visual marker for the building as well as enhancing the public realm along Quay Street.

"The design provides a fresh approach to office environments and aims to offer opportunities for people to work in new and more flexible ways."