PROJECT REPORT: COMMERCIAL & WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS 43
The shell and core approach has been straightforward Cat A, so the stacked floors have been left “basically as a blank canvas for the tenants,” and they have tended to take very different approaches. Amanda says that she has enjoyed being able to view the various fitouts happening from outside, particularly when lit up at night – and this has added visual variety to the facades. “It’s a testament to why we do flexible spaces, everyone makes it their own – you walk onto one floor and realise it’s the same floorplate as one below, but a completely different experience.”
Zaman says that having visited the offices since completion, it’s “really interesting how the different operations are working on each floor; seeing how the spaces are being broken into different elements.” She says tenants have created “fun breakout spaces,” as well as some “very comfy booths,” especially on the co-working floors. “The number and variety of spaces is amazing.” Also, the client’s intention is that the public will be able to wander in on the ground floor and use the pleasant open circulation space, with several cafes off it.
Conclusion
The building is now occupied, with office workers enjoying the green space of Symphony Park as a fully-accessible amenity, as well as users across the wider masterplan – such as people using the food court – being able to benefit from it on a 24 hour basis. With a rich, closely clustered mix of office, residential and students, enjoying food and beverage offers as well as retail, this will be a lively area of the city. Amanda says that as soon as the park opened, people were gathering and sitting in it, “even in the cold!” Despite the pandemic’s emergence, a range of tech companies and startups have taken space in 1 & 2 Circle Square, demonstrating the credentials it offers, as well as the demand for central office space in the city. Major business tenants include Hewlett Packard in no. 1, and Accenture and Bosch in No. 2.
Although this building was designed as a workplace before the pandemic hit, and completed at the beginning of 2020, its space-efficient, as well as flexible design helps to futureproof it against the economic constraints now forced upon city offices. So without knowing the pandemic would be a factor post-completion, FCBStudios ensured it would be more resilient in an uncertain post-pandemic future. According to Amanda Whittington,
ADF MARCH 2022
© Mike Dinsdale
the general consensus from clients was that people are “still looking for office space, but perhaps with lower occupancy densities,” to minimise risk.
She concludes that the design needed to fit the business climate of a workspace in Manchester, And she believes the result is “a testament to what you can do in an emerging environment to actually push the limits and do something really good, within a realistic budget. However, despite its many design benefits and qualities, and the delivery of some precious public green space in the city centre, it may be this building’s inherent flexibility that is the factor that will give it resilience over the long-term. g
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