Calico
A new commercial community
A sensitive refurbishment of a former industrial warehouse in Manchester city centre providing 1,520 sqm of flexible workspace across five original storeys and a two-storey roof extension.
Bluefig Investments wanted to create a new home for creative enterprise at 53-55 Mosley Street when the previous tenant’s occupancy came to an end. It needed to be flexible, offering various modes of working in order to support a creative and vibrant community.
Our challenge was to improve an extremely compromised internal layout with poor natural light, ceiling heights and circulation through sensible and modest refurbishment and restoration. By relocating the building’s core into the centre of the floorplate we have been able to maximise the amount of natural light entering the workspace, as well as providing well-proportioned flexible workspace.
The clear distinction between the original fabric and new interventions celebrates a new period in the building’s history, while recognising its former use as an industrial warehouse. A mixed palette of materials has been carefully placed and proportioned to provide colour, texture and detail. The entrances are inviting, animated, well-connected and better engage with the surrounding streetscape. The Mosley Street entrance has new ‘shop front’ glazing that creates high quality frontage and improved accessibility on to the street. A welcoming reception area, designed in collaboration with local artist Lazerian, provides shared tenant amenity and facilities for small scale events.
The upper floors are all accessed via the new core that clusters an upgraded lift, new stairs, superloos and kitchenette. The new fourth floor includes additional shared amenity in the form of a small co-work lounge and external terrace with views to St Peter’s Square.
Businesses today are looking for more from the places they work in – character, soul and being part of a community of like-minded people. Calico delivers on this, right in the heart of the city’s business district. We look forward to welcoming Manchester’s brightest talent into our community.
Project details
Project name: Calico
Location: Manchester, UK
Value: < £20M
Scope: Architecture, Interior design
Clients: Bluefig Investments (UK) Ltd
Status: Complete
Completion date: 2021
Project manager: CINNS Limited
Structural / civic engineer: HBL Associates
MEP: Hulley and Kirkwood
Fire engineer: BB7 Consulting
Planning consultant: Paul Butler Associates
Photography: Adrian Lambert
Awards
BCO Northern Awards 2023 Refurbished/Recycled - Winner
Email: nickgaskell@hawkinsbrown.com