46
EXTERNAL ENVELOPE
Mancunian melancholy
T
wo fifteen-story
residential
towers,
like a pair of ballerinas, soar upwards high above the northernmost Salford
Quays in Manchester. Slender backs linked together, they fan out towards the water and have earned the title the “Duet”. Anyone who moves into one of these apartments in the middle of the new Media City is part of the transformation and economic boom which, over the last twenty years, has seen Manchester change from an industrial city with high rates of unemployment into a trendy location for the creative, cultural and media industries. The city of subcultures has long since become a strong location for financial and service sectors, and has to offer appropriate housing. So, the Duet offers higher-priced accommodation with a
sophisticated but youthful and fashionable interior. The tower’s facade, in glass and ALUCOBOND®
tray panels, falls into
angular folds and, like the position of the two buildings themselves, responds to its location. Because however much Manchester may change, one thing remains the same: there is less sunshine here than in other parts in England. Autumn brings grey skies and rain; sunshine hours are rare during this time. Thanks to mild temperatures, this does not change even in winter. So those who can afford to, make the most of the scarce sunlight by opening their apartments up to face south and stretching upwards high above the horizon. People living on the higher floors of the towers on the Quays, therefore, are less likely to be affected by autumnal
melancholy. The angled, fan-shaped facade, featuring floor-to-ceiling glazing on all the south-facing surfaces, allows more light to flood into the apartments and offers exclusive, uninterrupted views all the way to Manchester United’s stadium over the lower neighbouring buildings. At the same time, the orientation of the two towers ensures a good deal of privacy in the apartments. Incidentally, the ALUCOBOND®
tray panels
in three different shades of red and with different levels of gloss, echo the city’s colour palette: the dominant tone in Manchester is reddish-brown, like the naturally aged, different hues of brick. This duet of glass and ALUCOBOND®
unites both: the old, rust-red
Manchester, as well as the new one, with its glass clad skyscrapers.
Paul Herbert, Sales Manager 07584 680262
www.alucobond.com
PROJECT DATA
Project: Erie Basin, Manchester Architect: Sheppard Robson Architects, London Fabricator: Premo Fabrications, Newton Aycliffe Installer: FK Group, Altrincham Facade System: Tray Panels on bolts Year of Construction: 2019 Product: ALUCOBOND®
A2 solid
special colour Photos: John Kees Photography
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WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
02/11/2022 13:15 ADF OCTOBER 2022
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