Renaker looks to close out Greengate trilogy

Hodge and or podge?!

They don’t look good together there, there’s no synergy or rhythm between them. they’re not similar enough to match nor different enough to be independent.

Also, £20 on the ‘feature indents’ get value engineered out post approval.

I like the ground floor, they need to do something with the flat roofs though.

I don’t mind them but they are just fillers.
When are we getting the good stuff?

Architects have been having a good time on Minecraft again it seems. Spreadsheet designs again.

At least they are making some effort with the podium. Looking forward to 55 story Heritage tower near here. Much better design.

Waterloo place?..heritage tower (?)..when is that getting built .Its not just the 55 story element that excites,its the quality of the design. So in a way (Annon. @ 1:33) you’re right in that these 40/42 level towers are ‘fillers’..the heritage tower is a show piece,it has a pointy top which stands put in a Forrest of flat roofs.

this cluster looks terrible, urban planning in Manchester is all over the place. These towers look so dull, difference in height makes them look even more out of place. It’s so hard to watch what they’re doing to this beautiful city. Development is good but enough with the greed, time to build some quality schemes.

I genuinely would find it very helpful if Michael could explain what he means by quality, even by referencing an alternative scheme that he thinks is quality. The Renekar schemes in Manchester and Salford are very special so I’m not sure what he wants. Please assist.

So much development and most of it good so I think Infused what Michael means is that he’d like some too. Agree that Heritage tower will really make a difference to this cluster though in the way that the 360 and the Blade are doing to Jackson st. Onwards and upwards!

One Heritage Tower…. The last rumour I heard was that the numbers didn’t stack up. Lets see if the roof design survives any value engineering exercise….

I second what Michael said, this isn’t good place making and it will be evident when these schemes are completed, a puzzling collection of fragmented ugly grey blocks with no character and a desperate attempt to sprinkle some in the form a podium on the ground which looks quite disjointed (although does somewhat provide some form of human scale). In general, it’s evident this isn’t going to be the ‘next’ destination or neighbourhood, rather a somewhere to rent for transient communities, with the only advantage being its proximity and location to successful places like Ancoats.

Hopefully, the much-delayed reforms to National Planning will finally give local councils the power to refuse proposal simply if they’re ugly and maybe then developers might be forced to actually consider good design as a requirement rather than an afterthought.

Luckily anonymous 2.01, or Michael, your views are mostly subjective and are very much in the minority. Oh well you are entitled to them but you’re wrong. Or at least that’s my view.

Michael hasn’t told us what he means by quality so perhaps you would care to enlighten us of what you believe would represent quality anonymous 2.01. It’s so easy to post negative comments on this site about how much you don’t like something but constructive comments about what you think would improve matters would be much more helpful.

Renaker need to experiment with different cladding styles. Think everyone’s getting a bit tired of all their towers looking the same. The picture for this article being exhibit A.

But you still haven’t told us what would be better or an example of what better quality looks like. At the moment you just don’t seem to like a scheme which is if a very high quality

I only have to look at these soulless monstrosities to feel depressed ( I live nearby). Not only are they a hideous blot on the landscape but I feel sorry to the, generally young, people who get trapped in this type of accommodation for want of alternatives. These tower blocks give the illusion of a “lifestyle” of living in a swishy hotel. They are not places to put down roots and start a family. The politicians – national and local -have a lot to answer for.

Ditto John, as young professional myself, these cluster of fragmented grey blocks wouldn’t be somewhere I’d consider living, the only draw would be if they were an affordable alternative, it doesn’t really provide a sense of place, I don’t certainly wouldn’t describe these developments as ‘very high quality’, maybe if you travelled outside of Salford, you’d see what genuinely good place-making is, places like Ancoats were people actually want to live and business want to set up or you could even look at some examples abroad in successful places like Copenhagen’s Nordhavnen urban development project which I’ve had the privilege to visit.

I’m sorry @John but who are you to speak for young professionals? This is exactly what we want in a world class city. The suburbs are for families.

John they are for people who want to live in the city while they are young, not for families, you don’t raise a family in the city unless you can’t afford to move out.

Sorry John. You are living in a growing city centre in growing city. Perhaps you could try somewhere smaller and quieter nearby where there is far less development on this scale. I can think of a few places.

Actually @Big Dub, real world class cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen and even some parts of London, provide a mix of housing typologies and tenures, which cater for a diverse mix of young childless professionals, families and even the elderly, at a gentle density, this orthodoxy of suburb and core / high-rise and sprawl is pretty outdated, you can provide dense mix-use neighbourhoods that are also at a human scale, look at Ancoats, it’s one of the most successful regeneration projects in the country, there’s a reason why rents there are the highest in the city, because people many young people want to live there and so many business want to set up there, ask yourself why

They look great. Funny how the I wouldn’t want to live here brigade can find somewhere there would want to live nearby but insist on telling everyone why they wouldn’t live somewhere so many other people clearly do.

This is modern living in urban areas and happens the world over. There is tons of traditional housing elsewhere in the region but people are choosing to live in these modern buildings. They wouldn’t live there if they didn’t want to because it ain’t cheap!!

Hi folks – I believe both sides behind the “who wants to live in apartments in the city centre” debate have now spoken, so let’s move the conversation on. Thanks. – Julia

I think if they get the street level right here, it could be decent. GJS is incredibly sterile at street level and looks like, it is by invitation only. This is potentially better, as there is some sturdy architecture and an established pub, so should attract businesses , more like what we have seen at Kampus.

I think the naysayers on here need to ask themselves why the city is growing so quickly. Why are all the homes full, why is all the offices are full, why so many students want to study here, why hotels cost so much……….it’s because it is a great city where people want to be. Don’t judge everything by your own standards take a step back and see the bigger picture and you will see a landscape of success and growth.

I like the clusters in Manchester, it’s the right thing to do to mass them in areas like Jackson St and Greengate with a few more dotted around outside these areas. I do agree that Renaker who have done so much to make this happen let’s not forget, do need to change the look of future towers although I believe that the 360 and the Blade are both Renaker so that is a start. I like the look of the Elizabeth tower best, that stepped back look and the darker glass cladding looks very classy.

what I meant is that these buildings have no design value to them, if you look at other cities in Europe there’s some beautiful and interesting looking towers, true landmarks. Do you really look at this cluster and think ‘wow this is quality’ ? they are so unimaginative it hurts, the same architect over and over again with their copy and paste designs. Trinity Islands already on the way, I don’t actually mind the design but the facade looks like a copy of deansgate square, are you really happy with this monotony? Fair enough there’s always cost to consider and it’s tough times right now economically but these ‘architects’ still get paid good money for creating this same dull tower. These buildings take considerable amount of space I think it’s only fair they should be pleasing to the eye. One Heritage tower looks very promising, it would really enhance the skyline as it would be the first skyscraper without the flat roof and it has a really nice height to it.

This a different architect……not the ones who have designed Trinity. Yes there are some fantastic tall buildings elsewhere in the world but there is far more that are dull drab and mundane. The base level for tall buildings in Manchester is very very high. So whilst you would have to agree that none of the towers are stand out in a world class sense, they would not look poor or drab or dull or mundane in any city in the world. We are fortunate that the vast majority of our tall buildings are of that quality. You should be thankful

@Infused, I highly doubt any ‘world class’ city would permit such development, but if your definition of world class city is places like Leeds, Hull and Newcastle then maybe yes, this development could not exist in London or any other European city, the bar in Manchester is very low, just as long as it’s a certain height we should be grateful.

It’s clear from one or two comments here some either haven’t walked around these clusters or aren’t from these parts and look at the occasional cgi and pronounce on the shapes they think they see. Those of us that live here see an ever developing story, areas like Jackson st and Greengate that have been designated as areas for talls that aren’t just transforming the area with massing, but are very much work in progress and Jackson st in particular will continue to develop over decades. A few more non flat tops and different shapes will be nice but as John has pointed out, some of those are already here with the towers mentioned and more are on the way hopefully in the form of Heritage or Victoria and with others in the pipeline. Far more importantly to me is that they develop those neighbourhoods and link the towers to the ground to really make a community and there is evidence of that happening slowly but surely in Jackson st with schools and doctors being included. Driving down the Mancunian way now looks incredible compared to how things looked a decade or more ago. Sure it can always be better and doubtless will be as more jobs and more people add to the wealth of the city and it’s surroundings but honestly, properly zoned, and continually improved and developed these areas are welcome as just another layer on an ever growing city.

Anonymous 9-30. They would not be out of place in any world class city. They may not be the finest there but they would be amongst the very best. Have you actually seen the quality of the materials at Great Jackson St. it is truly outstanding, costs about 1200 per sq m. Please come to Manchester and see them close up. See how their appearance changes throughout the day. Pink in the morning as the sun rises. The dynamism that the folds produce. See the new school being built and the new doctors surgery. Watch the new park take shape. Think you’d be surprised if you looked in a bit more detail.

@Infused we should be thankful for dull, monotonous skyline? I can’t take your comments seriously, I’m sorry. If you’re satisfied with that mess that’s on you, I think Manchester deserves better! The biggest projects in Manchester are unfortunately designed by the same people, I say unfortunately because it really shows no diversity in the skyline. I would love to see some world class architects like Zaha Hadid, all we get is mediocre Simpson&Haugh, I think enough is enough.

I’m really sorry Michael but you still haven’t told us what you define as quality. I have explained why I think Gt Jackson St is quite special . You talk in an abstract sense about wouldn’t it be lovely.come on tell us what would be better and where it is being built. All we get from you guys is I don’t know much about art but I know what I like. Criticism is so easy, what would be better. Not one person has told me.

They literally look like barcodes