You will not find a 13th floor in any highrise in the US or Canada.

Quite silly when you think about it, because in all but name there is an actual 13th fucking floor!

You will not find a 13th floor in any highrise in the US or Canada.

Quite silly when you think about it, because in all but name there is an actual 13th fucking floor!

lol, a silly but true fact

you can't hide from the 13th floor unless you only build 12!

I'm considering taking part in a "walk or run up the Beetham Tower" charity thingy. You get to go up to the 47th floor! (if you don't have a heart attack of course). I don't know if I'll do it just yet, just thought I'd post it in here because it's relevant.

Good luck with that...erm 57 flights of stairs!

What happened to the office element of Beetham, surely the funding could be found for that project with the office sector booming as ever?

Beetham Tower Hotel Owner Sold By Administrators

£60m purchase rescues collapsed property firm

Written by Simon Binns.

The firm that owned the part of the Beetham Tower occupied by Hilton Hotels has been sold by administrators following its collapse in February.

A new report by KPMG says Beetham Hotels Manchester Ltd has been sold to a company called Blue Manchester Ltd. Beetham Hotels Liverpool Ltd, which owned the Radisson Blu in that city, was also sold as part of the deal, to Blue Liverpool Ltd.

The total value of the deal was £60m, although the two hotels had been on the market with CBRE for £65m.

More than 20 interested parties contacted CBRE, which resulted in a shortlist of six potential buyers. The report says the eventual buyer had been in talks with the companies and the Bank of Scotland about a sale for a year before the administration.

The report also says there is no connection between Blue Manchester Ltd and Blue Liverpool Ltd and the previous companies. The original companies were owned by developer Stephen Beetham.

Bank of Scotland were owed £87m by the two companies when they went into administration, although £62m of that amount has been paid back, as a direct result of the sale. Claims from unsecured creditors amounted to £1.6m.

The 340 staff employed by the companies have also had their wage arrears paid in full.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Property/Beetham-Tower-Hotel-Owner-Sold-By-Administrators

Blue Manchester Tower?

Does anyone have any photos of the railway viaduct that was there before it was cleared for Beetham..?

Is it was the one housing the Beuer Millet showroom if that helps the search? :)

If the Beetham doesn't have a 13th, are there other buildings in the city that don't have a 13th either?
The Ramada Piccadilly doesn't (the old Jarvis Piccadilly Hotel on Portland St).

Just wandering, does this building have a 13th floor? I know many tall buildings don't have a 13th floor, but instead have a "12a" or an "M" floor (the thirteenth letter of the alphabet) just to avoid the superstition around the number 13.

If the Beetham doesn't have a 13th, are there other buildings in the city that don't have a 13th either?

I used to work on the 13th floor of Sunlight House. It obviously never bothered us then.

Beetham Tower in Manchester is hit by power cut

September 30, 2011

http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/res/311.$plit/C_71_article_1460430_image_list_image_list_item_0_image.jpg?01%2F10%2F2011%2006%3A41%3A49%3A945

Picture showing the bottom part of the Beetham Tower in darkness. Pic by Lesley Chalmers (www.lesleychalmers.com)

The Beetham Tower in Manchester was hit by a power cut this evening.

The lower part of the 550ft building, which includes the city's 23 floor Hilton Hotel, suffered the failure in the late afternoon.

Engineers worked for several hours to restore the supply to the hotel.

Residential flats in the top part of the building were not believed to be affected. Photographer Lesley Chalmers took the picture above showing how the top part of the tower was lit up as normal while the bottom part was in darkness.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Engineers employed by the hotel were working to fix the problem.'

The power cut caused disruption to guests at the hotel.

Motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys tweeted: "Power cut at Hilton hotel, Manchester. Entire event dashing up road in black tie to another hotel. A chaotic, memorable speaking gig!"

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1460430_beetham-tower-in-manchester-is-hit-by-power-cut

Manchester Hilton hotel in race to reopen for Tory conference after Beetham Tower power cut

September 30, 2011

Manchester's iconic Hilton Hotel is in a race against the clock to re-open for the start of the Tory party conference after a power cut closed the hotel to guests.

The hotel, which occupies the first 23 floors of the 47-storey Beetham Tower, was hit by the failure on Friday night.

Hundreds of guests were sent to alternative accommodation across the city.

Engineers battled through the night to restore partial power. The upper floors of the 550ft building, which are residential flats, were unaffected by the power problems.

But on Saturday afternoon, on the eve of the Tory Party conference, the 279-bedroom hotel was still not yet fully operational.

Managers said they were confident the venue would be full open later today, in time for the four-day political summit which will bring 10,000 delegates to the city.

A Hilton Worldwide spokesman, said, “We can confirm that there was an electrical power outage on Friday, 30 September at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate resulting in the closure of the hotel overnight and relocation of guests to alternative accommodation.

"Our engineering team are working as quickly as possible to get the hotel fully operational again. We sincerely apologise for inconvenience caused and look forward to welcoming guests back to Hilton Manchester Deansgate. Any guests with a query please contact the hotel directly for advice.”

Motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys tweeted: "Power cut at Hilton hotel, Manchester. Entire event dashing up road in black tie to another hotel. A chaotic, memorable speaking gig!"

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1460430_manchester-hilton-hotel-in-race-to-reopen-for-tory-conference-after-beetham-tower-power-cut

So why is it spending tonight, the eve of the Tory conference, as the 2nd night without power?

Piss poor.

So why is it spending tonight, the eve of the Tory conference, as the 2nd night without power?

Piss poor.

I was just in town and the lights where on in there.

Someone at the Tory conference is tweeting they are all being shipped out to other hotels for the night due to the power cuts.

Someone at the Tory conference is tweeting they are all being shipped out to other hotels for the night due to the power cuts.

Sounds like they need an electrician then :)

Presumably some component in the electrical distribution system has failed.

I came across this book cover the other day... looks like the artist has had a strange premonition of 21st century Manchester:

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i228/rushruf/Beetrial.jpg


Spooky, huh?

Or the architect had seen it more likely surely?

What next Elvis on the moon.

Good find! ;)

That really is fascinating, one of my mates is a great admirer of this Franz Kafka chap, maybe he knows what the cover was about.

I didn't notice, but Beetham has more than doubled in size to almost 400m. Unfortunately you can't quite see the 'dormer' this picture: :lol:

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

Wow great picture. Great time to be Ian Simpson with his garden on the roof ...

Nice to hear the tower whistling in the wind again today :lol:.

errrr ye. Singing Buildings.
EXCLUSIVE: Singing Beetham: Other City Buildings To Join In

Manchester to become the World’s First Singing Tower City

MANCHESTER’s tallest buildings are going to be re-calibrated with classic Manchester tunes Confidential's Sleuth hears.

City agencies believe the singing towers could generate over £25m in annual revenue for the city, “but it’s anybody’s guess really,” said a spokesperson, "as long as the amount sounds significant. We can hope, can't we? And guess."
The recent success of Beetham Tower’s enthusiastic whistling has brought together architects, city councillors, Bruce Forsyth, Dave Haslam and the fella who conducts the Halle Orchestra.


Beetham Tower, you hum it and I'll join in

Beetham Tower (171m), the CIS Tower (118m), City Tower (107m) and Student Castle Tower (still under construction - 106m) will be ‘tuned’ so that on windy days they can serenade citizens, visitors and bag-ladies.

“It’s simple,” said Councillor Karnage. “As a city we are well-known for our musical heritage so we’ve commissioned a team of experts and a very old man who dances a lot, to choose Manchester tunes that will reflect what’s going on in the city.”

Sleuth hears that old classics from the Bee Gees will be included such as ‘More Than A Windy Building’ (surely ‘Woman’, Ed).

The Smiths, ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’ will be played early on a Sunday morning and for people living high in Beetham Tower New Order’s ‘True Faith’ will feature on particularly windy days.

For those contemplating jumping off the towers because of the noise, Hurts ‘Wonderful Life’ might be aired.

“It’s another example of Manchester’s pioneering spirit,” said Karnage dancing a jig and rill on Deansgate under Beetham Tower.

City agencies believe the singing towers could generate over £25m in annual revenue for the city, “but it’s anybody’s guess really,” said a spokesperson, "as long as the amount sounds significant. We can hope, can't we? And guess."

Sleuth has learnt that Manchester Arndale Tower is annoyed at not being asked. The building told Sleuth, “It’s not about talent any more with bands just about looks. My face clearly didn't fit.”

The RSPCA has complained about the decision to make the buildings sing, "on behalf of all the dogs out there, this will be torture."

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Sleuth/EXCLUSIVE-Singing-Beetham-Other-City-Buildings-To-Join-In

Wow, how far can you hear this?

i2TMRbf6qug

That is fucking creepy.

That is fucking creepy.

That is proper creepy :lol:.

Wow, how far can you hear this?

I was able to hear this from behined Picadilly station. Quite loud too, so I dread to think what it sounded like if you lived in or around it.

I'm sorry about the Beetham Tower howl, says architect Ian Simpson

George Sargent

January 06, 2012

Beetham Tower architect Ian Simpson has apologised after the Manchester skyscraper kept city centre residents awake by humming in the wind.

A noise nuisance probe has been launched at the 47-storey building by environmental health officers after a string of complaints about the din.

Residents in areas ranging from Miles Platting to Chorlton said the sound of the low hum emitted by the glass blade at the building had disturbed their sleep.

The building vibrated noisily in the wind on Monday night and again on Wednesday night as winds gusting to over 90 miles per hour were recorded across Greater Manchester.

Mr Simpson, who lives in an apartment on the top floor of the 168m (551 ft) tower, the tallest residential building in Europe, said that he had heard the noise himself and pledged to take action.

He explained that the noise is created by wind passing over glass fins on the blade at the top of the tower. The blade was added to the building for design reasons and does not have a practical purpose.

This video was posted on Youtube by user PartialS

“It’s like wind blowing over a leaf”, Mr Simpson said. “We are working with acoustic specialists to determine a new way forward. We don’t need to remove the whole of the blade. We might remove the glass.

“I am completely aware of the noise because I live at the top of the building. I would like to apologise for that and we are looking to address it so that next year we don’t have the same problem.”

He added: “At the end of the day it’s not supposed to make noise. We have got to address it because it’s causing distress.”

He warned that the noise may continue through January if there is more stormy weather ahead.

City Centre councillor Kevin Peel contacted Environmental Health officials yesterday after receiving dozens of complaints.

Mr Peel said: “Environmental health has a duty to respond to this because it’s a noise nuisance.

“It [the blade] doesn’t serve any logical purpose and it’s disturbing the residents. I think they should take the damn thing off.”

City centre chief, coun Pat Karney, was also among those disturbed by the din.

He said: "Hundreds of city centre residents were kept up til the early hours with this singing Beetham Tower for the second time this week.

"I live in the Northern Quarter and it was the first time I could hear it really loudly, til about 1.30am. It's a really ghostly unsettling sound and we've had emails into the council from residents all over the city centre, particularly on Liverpool Road.

“We recognise it was exceptionally windy conditions but we need to look again at this problem and see if there's anything we can do and I will be calling an urgent meeting with the owners of Beetham Tower and the architect."

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1469836_im-sorry-about-the-beetham-tower-howl-says-architect-ian-simpson

They could tune the THX "Deep Note" sound!

whats betting the blade will eventually get dismantled at some point:ohno:
Its a certainty

there have been a few attempts to solve the problem and all have failed

whats betting the blade will eventually get dismantled at some point:ohno:
Its a certainty

there have been a few attempts to solve the problem and all have failed

I hope so. It seems like pointless frippery to my mind.

99% of life is pointless frippery.

We'd all be suicidally bored without it.

But then it would lose 12 metres! :0(

12 metres of pointless frippery. ;-)

Its not pointless, it has an aesthetic purpose, it is there to balance the forward,top heavy appearance and make the tower appear more erect as if standing to attention, especially from the side on views or at angles
It will will not look right without it

Aesthetics are not pointless, unless you are not bothered about the physical appearance of anything

The tower would look, in my humble opinion, total shite without it. Ian Simpson has built the worlds biggest whistle, so people should purchase some earmuffs for when the winds pick up.

That is proper creepy :lol:.

I'm a wuss for waking up (well, whilst still being half asleep) and hearing noises (usually the freight trains on the west coast mainline not far away) and freaking out. Something like this, well.. There's no doubt that if that sound woke me up I would be screaming and running around the place frantically, thinking there was an alien invasion or something :|

Here's a good shot of the blade,

http://richardaldred.com/files/gimgs/11_richardaldredarchitecture01beethamtower.jpg
http://richardaldred.com/builtenvironment/architecture

City centre street shut for two months as Beetham Tower gets new windows

Deborah Linton

May 04, 2012

Manchester's landmark Beetham Tower is to get new windows – shutting one of the city’s busiest roads for up to two months.

Almost two dozen windows need replacing in the 47-storey building, which houses the Hilton hotel and luxury apartments.

Great Bridgewater Street, which runs alongside the £150m tower, will shut for eight weeks from Sunday while the work is carried out.

It is understood the building’s managing agents, Braemar Estates, asked town hall highways chiefs to close the road as a safety precaution, due to a small risk of falling glass while panels are replaced. The 554ft tower, the tallest residential building in Europe, opened six years ago.

Twenty-one window panels need replacing due to faults or breakages caused during the past three years.

They include two windows damaged by vandals, a large panel on the third floor near the hotel swimming pool, and two panes which are currently boarded up in the executive lounge behind Cloud 23, the hotel’s top floor bar.

All the windows are triple-glazed and in each case only one panel is broken, said Braemar. The frames are custom-made and are being shipped to Manchester from Germany.

Diversions will be put in place for drivers until July.

The Hilton hotel will be open as usual but the entrance will be closed during periods of the work. Guests will use a temporary entrance via a restaurant.

Neil Roberts from Braemar Estates, which manages the tower on behalf of owners North West Ground Rents, said: “The work will replace 21 windows in total, which have suffered breakages over the last three years.

“Half of the work will be carried out by the original contractor (construction firm Carillion) who have accepted these are building defects. The others are insurance claims. The frames are all different sizes and have been specially made in Germany.

“We will be trying to reduce the amount of time that Great Bridgewater Street has to be closed but the exclusion zones are necessary when we are bringing panels out or putting them in, although the panels are tied down to a cradle whilst work is being carried out. This is a further precaution.”

A council spokesman said: “Motorists are being advised that Great Bridgewater Street will be closed to traffic while essential maintenance and repair work is carried out on windows in the Beetham
Tower.

“Great Bridgewater Street will be closed for up to eight weeks from Sunday 6 May to enable work to take place. Works are scheduled to finish on Sunday 1 July.”

The tower – which has 219 apartments and a penthouse owned by the building’s architect Ian Simpson – was completed in 2006. Mr Roberts said glazing work had been carried out on a piecemeal basis for the first three years, but nothing had been done since.

He said closing Great Bridgewater Street was the safest possible way of carrying out the work.

Braemar said the timing of the work would be dependent on weather conditions but it hoped to finish the job ahead of the July 1 deadline.

A Hilton Worldwide spokesman said: “Due to essential external glazing maintenance work undertaken by Braemar Estates on behalf of the Beetham Tower, please be advised that at times during the period of the works a temporary entrance to the hotel will be in operation via the Podium restaurant.

“Disruption will be kept to a minimum during this period and we look forward to welcoming guests to Hilton Manchester Deansgate.”

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1492942_city-centre-street-shut-for-two-months-as-beetham-tower-gets-new-windows

Thanks for that, I wondered why my preferred route home was going to be shut for so long!

Here's a good shot of the blade,

http://richardaldred.com/files/gimgs/11_richardaldredarchitecture01beethamtower.jpg
http://richardaldred.com/builtenvironment/architecture

... and Mr Simpson's trees as well!

A few years ago me and my dad went up to Simpson's apartment and he told us the trees were imported from Italy!

Nice video.

http://vimeo.com/41966861