Gateway House | Piccadilly Station Approach | App

[Splurb]

Interesting article: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?...hannel=426&c=1

[jrb]

Originally Posted by Splurb

Interesting article: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?...hannel=426&c=1

Thanks for that Splurb.

He said the cost of the work ranged from £5 million for a facelift to “£100 million plus” for a larger redevelopment.

Reinke said his practice’s scheme would use the building’s ground-floor platform to create a new 16-storey tower. “We want to save the Corbusian piloti colonnade to make a champagne flute-shaped building,” he said.

“We’re keeping the Seifert imprimatur but adding a very slender teardrop tower which is nestled into the belly of the building’s ‘lazy S’ shape.”

Reinke added that he would like to increase the tower proposal to 20 storeys “at some point”.

Sounds very exciting.

[CDX]

Very interesting indeed, I hope they keep some of that form. I wonder how serious these proposals are, or is it literally just an ideas contest.

“We want to save the Corbusian piloti colonnade to make a champagne flute-shaped building,” he said.

I can't quite visualise that...a narrow base with a slender curved overhang?

[Jinkies!]

Originally Posted by CDX

I can't quite visualise that...a narrow base with a slender curved overhang?

I'd guess that his other description, "teardrop-shapped" is probably more likely to prove accurate - a curved building wider at the base, tapering to a slimmer top. Would certainly be easier from an engineering standpoint.

[GShutty]

Originally Posted by jrb

Reinke said his practice’s scheme would use the building’s ground-floor platform to create a new 16-storey tower. “We want to save the Corbusian piloti colonnade to make a champagne flute-shaped building,” he said.

“We’re keeping the Seifert imprimatur but adding a very slender teardrop tower which is nestled into the belly of the building’s ‘lazy S’ shape.”

Reinke added that he would like to increase the tower proposal to 20 storeys “at some point”.

Reinke is speaking on behalf of Woods Bagot, who were also the architects on Piccadilly Tower, you would hope therefore that should both schemes come to fruition that they would complement each other totally, should W.B. indeed win the tenure.

[pixel2006]

I love this building, is it not possible to do what has been done to the plaza and City Tower? Or like the Macdonald Hotel further down the street.

Is it an economics issue that it is only viable if it goes a lot higher, and it is technically not possible to stack a view more storeys on top (like some of the penthouses on top of the Victorian warehouses)?

I not arguing that we should keep it for purely heritage reasons, although I think its a fine piece of 60's architecture, but I really do think it adds to Manchester in terms of its iconic status.

[Comdot]

i would like to see some large holes cut through this building to break it up for people to walk through, and 3 towers added onto/next to the existing lift shafts.

[Splurb]

Originally Posted by GShutty

Reinke is speaking on behalf of Woods Bagot, who were also the architects on Piccadilly Tower, you would hope therefore that should both schemes come to fruition that they would complement each other totally, should W.B. indeed win the tenure.

I would be intrigued to see their plans and whether they do indeed complement the area at the 'back' of the building and the proposed plans for Piccadilly Tower and Rail House. More so to see if they - or indeed any of the other plans - address the challenge of directing some footfall towards Piccadilly Basin and the Northern Quarter. I guess this would be more viable if they demolished and rebuilt, although this could also be done as Comdot suggested above. As I said, it would be interesting to see. I can't help feeling sceptical about the whole contest though and whether there is any actual intent to redevelop.

On another note - with the likes of this, Rail House, Piccadilly Tower, the Fire Station, Chancellor Place, the proposed Government Complex, Piccadilly Mayfield, the redevelopment around the former UMIST buildings, Albany Tower (or whatever it was called in it's last re-incarnation), that office block proposed next to the Malmaison on the site of the former bank/current pound shop - there does seem to be a large amount of potential for the area as a whole. Apart from Rail House that's under construction, I just wonder if any of these projects will ever come to fruition! Anyway here's hoping.

Cheers

[Frodz]

Originally Posted by GShutty

Reinke is speaking on behalf of Woods Bagot, who were also the architects on Piccadilly Tower, you would hope therefore that should both schemes come to fruition that they would complement each other totally, should W.B. indeed win the tenure.

The article says former Woods Bagot boss, Stephan Reinke left the company in May.......

[b4mmy]

Gateway House | Piccadilly Station Approach | Redevelopment Competition

[iheartthenew]

another example of a modern 20th century building thats a bit unfashionable, just needs a bit of love? reclad in glass and it could be quite 'urbis' like. mmmmmm....

it's a lovely shape, just look at it in the photo CDX has put up.....

[jrb]

Unfortunately time moves on and the owners no longer see the building as 'fit for purpose'. They obviously want more sq ft for that site. If it can't be added by extending the building, then it will be demolished/replaced.

[Cherguevara]

What actually is the site though? Presumably they can't build onto Piccadilly approach and they can't build back very far because that's the station carpark access route and beyond that the Piccadilly tower site (which even if it isn't happening is owned by someone unlikely to sell).

[jrb]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

What actually is the site though? Presumably they can't build onto Piccadilly approach and they can't build back very far because that's the station carpark access route and beyond that the Piccadilly tower site (which even if it isn't happening is owned by someone unlikely to sell).

Up.

[Cherguevara]

A big curvy tower built on the railway approach? Seems a bit unlikely.

[jrb]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

A big curvy tower built on the railway approach? Seems a bit unlikely.

Well, they can't go width wise due to a pedestrian footpath and road on one side and another road on the other side. So they only way is up.

[manmodsoc]

Save gateway House - see our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gi...2769266&ref=ts

Also at www.manchestermodernistsociety.org

[nerd]

Gateway House is one of the defining buildings of 60s Manchester - and an excellent design too, which sets the context for the buildings around it. If a refurbished Piccadilly Gate can be commercially viable, then I cannot see any reason why Gateway House should have to go.

[dd528]

EDIT: Wow. Posted that in completely the wrong thread. Never mind...

[Maker of Things]

I like that building too. Could the access road at the back be moved a little too the east because it only painted on (Look on Google Maps). If it can then there would be plenty of room for a tower. The only problem I can think of is land ownership issues.

DLJ