Must be complete or nearing completion now>(externally) Not been to two for a few weeks.

Just to recap.(renders below)

Description

Allied London Properties Ltd.
Completion 2008
Contract value £15.0m
Size 23,938 m2

With an Armani flagship store on its ground floor, a restaurant and bar in the basement and three floors of high quality office space, including a roof terrace, Number One The Avenue is an important contribution to the urban fabric of Manchester. It represents the aspirations of the Spinningfields development - bold, modern and innovative

Design:

The new 5,125m² building has its own abstracted logic, dictated by its location. It creates a meta-narrative which engages it with the public and the city. Its pivotal location and form terminates the visual axis which links the Town Hall and Albert Square with Spinningfields Square. This ties the retail and business district with the civic core of the city and marks the start of the pedestrian journey through Spinningfields.

Innovation:

The ‘scissor’ geometry - / - \ - X of Number One The Avenue has been employed to respond to a duality of desire lines, and is immediately apparent through the dramatic cantilever on to Deansgate. The angled upper storeys realign the east-west axis towards Hardman Square, the heart of the scheme, and the lower levels direct pedestrians towards the new entrance for Rylands Library. The building design capitalises on its location through a series of formal, geometric shifts in plan, that allow the civic axis along Brazenoze street to be retained and the retail axis to be signalled at the Spinningfields Square ‘crossroads’.

The trapezoidal external glazing that contributes to the building’s ‘Excellent’

http://www.sheppardrobson.com/uploads/projects/Number-One-The-Avenue/explode_axo.jpg

http://www.sheppardrobson.com/uploads/projects/Number-One-The-Avenue/CGI1.jpg

These have to be at least a fortnight old, but the building itself is as good as done and creates a wonderful juxtapose beside the magnificent John Rylands Library. These are my first pics posted (about bloody time from an 8MP Sony Ericsson C-905 Camera Phone in case anybody cares. There is an anti-shake facility, but I hadn't discovered it at this point).

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x284/gshutty/DSC00029.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x284/gshutty/DSC00028.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x284/gshutty/DSC00068.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x284/gshutty/DSC00064.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x284/gshutty/DSC00069.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x284/gshutty/DSC00067.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x284/gshutty/DSC00094.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/004.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/001.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/002.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/003.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/011-1.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/010-1.jpg

Cool - but what was the guy doing in the first pic?!?!

Parkour

Good capture!

I like this building, but i'm getting this rather grey feeling everytime I look at Spinningfeilds. It needs a better mix of materials to avoid it looking like a faceless collection of glass buildings. I think the use of stone in any new phases should possibly be promoted to break things up a bit.

Best overall photograph so far in my limited and humble opinion. His other pics aren't bad either.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16919871@N07/3385563904/in/set-72157603213717266/

xxxxx

Is this now complete?

love how this meets the ground

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7797%20copy.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7795%20copy.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7791%20copy.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7787%20copy.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7790%20copy.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7785%20copy.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7782%20copy.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_05_19/IMG_7784%20copy.jpg

Good pic.s. The stone flagging looks very high quality in the images.

Did anybody see the BBC interviews from the weekend with Haile Gabreselaise and Usain Bolt from inside The Avenue? A particularlly polished, slick all white interior. Very 'space age'.

I like this building. I think it adds a bit of interest to the Spinningfields area compared to some of the other new builds which, while not bad quality, are a bit bland.

I love this building!

You can se the inside from 34mins and 48secs:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kk7h1/Athletics_Great_Manchester_Run_2009_17_05_2009/

Quality!

bump.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/001-15.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tootdood/3550607163/

Which retailer is going to be on the ground floor?

Clearly they havn't thought about the design of the posters (or whatever) within the windows because the opaque panels are hiding half of it! :| Unless when illuminated they'll shine through?

Armani.

According to the billboards the units include

On the South side starting on the left (3HS):
Brooks brothers, (1 or 2 gaps), Kurt Geiger, (2 or 3 gaps), Designer Shoes

On the North Side starting on the left (Magistrates):
Flannels, Joseph, Ermenegildo Zegna, Designer Ladies, (gap), Mulberry

And then Armani in the flagship store.

That leaves up to six gaps excluding 1 Crown Square.
Hugo Boss has signed for one and "Oliver Sweeney and has also reportedly taken a unit"
so its getting pretty full.

Wasn't Paul Smith supposed to be taking a space as well?

Paul Smith are taking the second anchor store at 1 Crown Square which is now under construction.

Also Prada will have a shop within Flannels and Joseph and Ermenegildo Zegna are going to be 'joint venture stores' with Flannels.

DKNY are opening a store at The Avenue aswell. The Hugo Boss store will be their first standalone womenswear store in the UK so that will probably be the 'Designer Ladies' unit. I think Oliver Sweeney is now confirmed to open so that will probably the 'Designer Shoes' unit.

Pretty building is pretty.

http://www.photo-pimp.com/dgnr8/manc/avenue1.jpg

http://www.nickgrayson.net/ssc/2009_06_24/IMG_8530%20copy.jpg

Hugo is the boss at Manchester’s Spinningfields

26.06.09

Hugo, the diffusion line of fashion retailer Hugo Boss, will open its first UK store next year in Spinningfields, Allied London’s development in Manchester

The diffusion line concentrates on merchandise and perfume aimed at a younger consumer.

Hugo will occupy 2,500 sq ft in one of the 25 shops that total 40,000 sq ft below the 4.5m sq ft office development.

Hugo will join Hugo Boss’s first UK standalone women’s store – a 2,916 sq ft unit that it also signed for earlier this year.

Joseph, Prada, Mulberry, Oliver Sweeney and Brooks Brothers are among the other retailers to be taking space, in addition to restaurant chain Jamie’s Italian.

Retailers will begin fitting out in January for an opening in June – a postponement from the original September opening.

The overall rent on the shops is £50/sq ft, equating to a £120 zone A rent.

Knight Frank acted

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=39&storycode=3143670

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/023-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/024-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/030-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/031-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202009/038-2.jpg

Love the contrast with the library. Up in Manc in October and can't wait to have a nose around.

They should try and lobby for some kind of luxury food store/deli thing, just for a bit of variety, soul and street life. I'm thinking of the newer Valvona & Crolla outlet in Edinburgh which is along their equivalent of this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30722667@N05/3004580647/

http://www.sheppardrobson.com/uploads/projects/Number-One-The-Avenue/amara%201.jpg

http://www.sheppardrobson.com/projects/page.cfm?projectID=100052

Creating a unique mixed-use retail destination within The Avenue, Spinningfields, Manchester. Edge has developed a vision for 'The Avenue' to become a premier retail heart for the development. We have three key roles with Spinningfields:

- RETAIL CONSULTANTS To build the brand presence by identifying a unique positioning, proposition and personality which establishes a clear future vision for the brand.

- RETAIL GUARDIANS To ensure that the vision becomes inherent in every new store and building over the next two years.

- RETAIL DESIGNERS/ARCHITECTS Applying the principles and vision that we created, to design the street architecture, kiosks, seating, totems and lighting throughout the development.

A Dramatic key element was introduced in the form of a continuous 'ribbon' incorporating seating, people art, canopies and signage, and new retail and serviced kiosks.

This was already an exceptional development, with signature architecture, and we determined to improve it. We have created the 'people spark', with both large and small elements to engage and inspire both workers in, and visitors to, the development.

http://www.edge-a-d.com/retail09.asp

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2774/theavenue1.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6099/theavenue2.jpg

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/5217/theavenue3.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/8404/theavenue4t.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/6522/theavenue5.jpg

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http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/3531/theavenue7.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/7544/theavenue8.jpg

Dont know how old this is but it looks pretty new as it has many of the already mentioned retailers that will be opening in The Avenue and some more including Calvin Klein Jeans and what looks like Alexander McQueen, also the first and last photos are official renders from Spinningfields themselves as we have seen the first one before.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2774/theavenue1.jpg


Nooooo, don't put something silly in to hide the cantilever!!

Nooooo, don't put something silly in to hide the cantilever!!

The cantilever's hardly hidden mate. :lol:

Nothing much, just the render of the Avenue in EGI. Has been seen before, but probably not this big and as blurred. :lol:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/jrb041067/4-1.jpg

Reminds me of New Bond Street with those flags...indeed that is what they're trying to emulate. Wonder how recent that render is/what the plans are for public realm additions, looks quite bare there, in the plans Flange posted above there seem to be a few mad additions, or was that maybe a vision? Would have thought Allied would have provided the most up to date ones....

Reminds me of New Bond Street with those flags...indeed that is what they're trying to emulate. Wonder how recent that render is/what the plans are for public realm additions, looks quite bare there, in the plans Flange posted above there seem to be a few mad additions, or was that maybe a vision? Would have thought Allied would have provided the most up to date ones....

Their website for the Avenue and Spinningfields hasn't been updated in ages. Even the second edition of the Spinningfields magazine is nearly eight months behind schedule.

Just guessing, but I think Ingell and Allied are playing a waiting game. Tapping fingers and pens on the desk until the time is right. Once that wait has ended, we should see some serious progress on Spinningfields (once again) and the Avenue.

...

Just watching Dragons Den on the TV. I'm pretty sure that the links (with the bald headed guy) in between pitches are filmed inside 2 Spinningfields Square (the Armani Building)

Interesting to see that glasswork from the inside.

They've started taking the hoardings down on one of the units. Maybe about to start the fit?

Ya I noticed the banners were down on one side of the Brooks Brothers unit last week, but fitting out of the retail units is scheduled to start in January apparently for a June opening.

Just watching Dragons Den on the TV. I'm pretty sure that the links (with the bald headed guy) in between pitches are filmed inside 2 Spinningfields Square (the Armani Building)

Interesting to see that glasswork from the inside.

Yes the Dragons Den Online show was defiantly filmed in the office space of 2 Spinningfields Square as the building has been used before for Television when the BUPA Great Manchester Run was shown they interviewed Usian Bolt there.

You can watch Dragons Den Online here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mztqw/Dragons_Den_Online_Episode_2/

I wonder if they are putting the glass frontages onto the retail units prior to the internal fitting out starting in Jan?

1 The Avenue, Spinningfields, Manchester by Sheppard Robson

26 November, 2009

By Richard Waite

[FIRST LOOK] Sheppard Robson has released the first official pictures of its 1 The Avenue office and flagship store building, in Manchester’s Spinningfields business district

The 5,125m² building on Deansgate, which officially opens in March, sits between the refurbished John Rylands Library (recently extended by Austin-Smith:Lord, AJ 06.09.07) and No.1 Spinningfields Square, also designed by Sheppard Robson.

Backed by developer Allied London, the £16 million building houses a restaurant and bar, an Emporio Armani store, three floors of office space and a roof terrace. The cantilevered block, featuring trapezoidal external glazing, is currently the backdrop for the BBC’s Online Dragons’ Den series.

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/daily-news/1-the-avenue-spinningfields-manchester-by-sheppard-robson/5211367.article

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/daily-news/1-the-avenue-spinningfields-manchester-by-sheppard-robson/5211367.article

It looks great doesn't it? I really do like this building, I know squat about architecture but it looks like good architecture to me, and the overhang makes it really interesting from a number of angles. I know it's only going to be a functional office building but it would be a great building for an art gallery imho.

http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm469/carlf18/Manchester%2012%2012%2009/IMG_1530.jpg

Rear of The Avenue looking very smart....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3481/3762045226_20b8e13188_o.jpg
from flickr by jononon

A new planning application is online for 1 The Avenue.


1 The Avenue
Spinningfields
Manchester

Construction of a new fire escape and secondary entrance enclosure to the basement of 1 The Avenue, Spinningfields, and the construction of permanent fixtures, namely four fixed parasols and bamboo planters, within the outdoor seating area, and associated works

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?093285/FO/2010/C1

This is the proposed secondary entrance enclosure to the basement of 1 The Avenue.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9751/avenuebarsecondentrance.jpg

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/9751/avenuebarsecondentrance.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/9751/avenuebarsecondentrance.jpg

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/9751/avenuebarsecondentrance.jpg

Very good. Has some conceptual similarities to the Apple Store on 5th in NY, albeit smaller. Manchester has the bonus of a large cantilevered roof however.

http://danherron.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/apple-store-nyc4.jpg

The building as a whole, certainly has some similarities to this.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f111/chameleontel/WelcometoBroadwayaround19-vi.jpg

Allied London is thought to be trying to lure Armani into taking more space with an Armani Caffe.
It would occupy part of the 1st floor and the roof terrace at the back of the building. There is scope too for Armani to take another 1,000 sq ft as not all of the ground floor is leased to them.

The planning application for the secondary entrance has been approved.

A new planning application has gone in for a canopy over the entrance for the offices at 1 The Avenue.


1 The Avenue
Spinningfields
Manchester

Construction of a glass canopy at the existing pedestrian entrance at the south elevation of 1 The Avenue Spinningfields

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=L6IY7YBC00700


http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/9274/onetheavenueofficeentra.jpg

IM Properties buys Spinningfields building

15 Sep 2010, 10:41

Allied London has completed the sale of No 1 The Avenue at Spinningfields for £18.6m to IM Properties reflecting a net initial yield of 6%.

The 41,000 sq ft building includes an 8,000 sq ft ground floor retail store let to Armani on a 16-year lease, which opened on Saturday, and a 7,000 sq ft ground and basement bar and restaurant unit. The unit will house a new bar restaurant concept from the founders of Living Ventures.

The upper floors consist of 26,500 sq ft of new Grade A office accommodation.

Allied London was advised by Jones Lang LaSalle.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/7158-im-properties-buys-spinningfields-building.html

McGrigors relocates to The Avenue

2 Dec 2010, 11:58

Law firm McGrigors is moving into a new office at No 1 The Avenue in Spinningfields, Manchester city centre.

McGrigors has agreed a lease of around 11,000 sq ft spread over two floors, including a 3,000 sq ft client suite, for an undisclosed sum.

The lease has been agreed with developer Allied London and building owner IM Properties.

McGrigors is expected to move into the new premises in March 2011 from the sixth floor of The Pinnacle located at 73 King Street in Manchester.

McGrigors Manchester has a team of over 35 people, having expanded since opening an office in the city in January 2008.

Richard Masters, managing partner of McGrigors, said: "Peter Blackmore, who heads up our Manchester team, has done an exceptional job in establishing an office which provides clients in Manchester and the North West access to a firm with a genuinely national network of offices across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We look forward to welcoming existing and new clients into No 1 The Avenue later this year."

Peter Blackmore, head of McGrigors' Manchester office, added: "Following the arrival of several senior hires over the past 24 months, its fair to say that things have been a little cramped in our existing office space."

Clients of McGrigors' Manchester office include Balfour Beatty, including its operations in Sale and elsewhere, Galliford Try, Manchester Airport, United Utilities, and Alstom.

The Avenue consists of 41,000 sq ft with an 8,000 sq ft ground floor retail store let to Armani on a 16-year lease.

Jeweller Phillip Stoner opened a new store within the development on Wednesday 1 December, joining retailers Oliver Sweeney, LK Bennett, Nicky Clarke, Brooks Brothers and All Saints as a tenant at The Avenue.

The upper floors consist of 26,500 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation.

OBI Property LLP acted as agent to McGrigors on the deal.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/7803-mcgrigors-relocates-to-the-avenue.html

Up there with the best in my humble opinion. :drool:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5239142797_a5f329cc24_o.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wojtekgurak/5239142797/in/photostream/

Its nice. Needs more seating or features out front though which I hope will be added when the entrance is completed.