The Hive | Stevenson Square

[Isaac Newell]

There was a firm called Roland Bardsley who used to refurbish schools in Oldham in the seventies. Always seemed to take them ages, but time went slowly then.

[STUBBY]

Originally Posted by Isaac Newell

There was a firm called Roland Bardsley who used to refurbish schools in Oldham in the seventies. Always seemed to take them ages, but time went slowly then.

That's them Isaac. I think they originated in Germany.

[jrb]

Hive.(?)

081291/FO/2006/C2

Land Bounded By Lever Street, Warwick Street, Spear Street, Faraday Street
Manchester

Seven storey new building plus basement parking, incorporating retail (Class A1), financial/professional services (Class A2), restaurant/cafe (Class A3) and offices (Class B1) on ground floor and offices (Class B1) on upper floors

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.g...291/FO/2006/C2

[macc]

The Hive has been approved, according to the MEN today.

[skymann]

Originally Posted by macc

The Hive has been approved, according to the MEN today.

There was a leaflet in the Buddhist Centre about a competition to help design the metal gridding thing that covers quite a lot of the front of the building. I suggest solid stainless steel that will cover up the whole building - it's gross.

[SleepyOne]

Don't forget that the delightful brutalist Lever St sorting office sits more or less directly opposite this proposal. The street needs something to help balance the impact of that particular monster. Therefore, I feel the architects have got the massing spot on.

Im looking forward to seeing what is proposed for the street level solar screen. It could be something really special. Who was it that was saying they wanted to do some artwork in the Northern Quarter - perfect opportunity.

[Cherguevara]

Creative types love ugly surroundings. Have you ever been to Hoxton? Every third building is rank, but the good balances it out.

[flange]

Already posted but here is a article about the design competition

Hive alive

Argent calls to bring the Hive alive in Manchester’s Northern Quarter

If you have creative ability at your fingertips, then a national design competition by developers Argent has been launched to create an art installation for The Hive in Stevenson Square.

The Hive is Argent’s new 145,000 sq ft office development designed by HKR Architects and Piercy Connor Architects and detailed planning permission has recently been granted for the first phase.

The creative brief for competition entrants, who can win a cash prize of £5000, is uniquely challenging according to David Partridge, Argent’s Joint Chief Executive:

“This area of Manchester is the neighbourhood of choice for the creative industries. The Hive is designed to appeal to creative people and businesses looking to expand into new sustainable office space. We want to inspire designers working in all spheres, including design students, to create an art installation which will take the form of a solar shading device across the front elevation of the our building.”

An environmentally friendly design aims to achieve a BREAM Excellent rating by incorporating natural ventilation, exposed thermal mass and green roof landscaping.

Construction work on The Hive is due to begin imminently and the first 75,000 sq ft phase will be ready in 2008. Its three linked buildings will offer contemporary loft offices, available on a variety of tenures and in a variety of sizes from 750 sq ft suites upwards.

David adds: “As with Argent’s other Manchester developments, One Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly Place, which have resulted in an impressive revitalisation of the whole Piccadilly area, The Hive will act as the catalyst for the regeneration of Stevenson Square and provide a new focus for the Northern Quarter. We are now looking forward to incorporating the creativity of the design community into this exciting new concept in city workspace.”

Argent is assembling a panel of judges for the competition gathered from the worlds of design, architecture and property.

The competition has its own website www.thehivemanchester.co.uk so that designers can read the full brief and use the on-line entry form before the closing date of 22nd June this year.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co...ame=Hive_alive

[kids]

Breakdown of the building's sustainability, taken from cube gallery's 'green modernism blogspot'



http://greenmodernism.blogspot.com/

[flange]

Build us up



Jonathan Schofield meets HKR’s Phil Doyle and Jon Matthews: an occasional column on Manchester architects

Architects and designers think of themselves as the funky creatives of the industrial world, a micrometer screw-gauge measurement away from being artists. A artistic temperament is the only explanation for HKR architect, Jon Matthews’ shirt – pictured here. Or it might just say something about the ebullient character of him and his colleague and buddy Phil Doyle.

Oldham-born Doyle and Bolton-born Matthews are Manchester’s architectural double-act: down to earth, funny and yet very serious about their work. Their path to running the thirty strong Manchester office of Irish-owned HKR revolves around alcohol.

“We drank about ten pints of Landlord bitter down at Sam’s Chophouse, one night,” says Matthews. “We knew we had our own ideas and during that drunken occasion we decided to follow that up and set up on our own. Then, out of the blue an opportunity came through friends of friends who’d started HKR in Dublin and they asked us if we wanted to create a business in Manchester. Of course we did.”

“Before that we’d worked in London before coming back to work for Sheppard Robson in Manchester,” says Doyle. “I’d interviewed Jon for a job there. Within thirty seconds it was like we’d been together for years...professionally speaking of course. It was only a matter of time before we went on our own.”

So what are they working on?

Chancery Place

“Chancery Place, off King Street, will be the first building we complete,” says Doyle. “It’s an office building and unusually for an office there is quite a bit of architecture in there. I was quite taken aback the other night because somebody said it was going to be Manchester’s gherkin.”

For ‘quite a bit of architecture in there’ read quality product, not cheapest option bilge. It’s pleasant to see people thinking big – as long as it comes off. Manchester will wait and judge upon delivery. But the sleek design as pictured looks promising even if there are concerns about the scale of the building on this tightly packed site.

Axis

Two other buildings which will also make a big impression on the Manchester street-scene are Axis, on the empty corner site at the end of Deansgate Locks, and The Hive. Axis will complete the view down Lower Mosley Street from St Peter’s Square, whilst Hive will inject life back into Lever Street. The latter’s going to be especially interesting.

The Hive

“The Hive is an office development in the Northern Quarter with Argent as the developer,” says Matthews. “It’s going to be the most energy efficient speculative office block in the North. We’re trying to strip back the mystique of what that means and design simple, low-tech buildings which use significantly less energy than typical office buildings. The Hive is aimed at the creative industries with flexible units and lower rents than buildings in the central hub of the city. With that in mind we really wanted to plug it into the context of the city, its history and its present. Partly we’ll do this through artworks – one of which will be the largest piece of public art in Manchester on a building.”

And away from their own buildings what do they think are the best new structures in the city? For Matthews it’s, “the recently completed Civil Justice Centre: the best building I’ve seen in years. Staggering.”

For Doyle: “I’m going to pick two. The first would be Urbis, it might not work on the inside, but outside it’s a fantastic jewel. The second is North City Library by Walker Simpson in Harpurhey, which is both good looking and works well.”

Time will tell whether any of HKR’s new buildings will be on the favourite lists of other Manchester architects. Doyle and Matthews seem determined that that will be the case. By combining originality with flair, and a taste for real ale, they might be on to something.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co...me=Build_us_up

[flange]

Argent announces design finalists

Property developer Argent has selected its three finalists of its Hive design competition to influence the look of a new building in Manchester’s Northern Quarter up for grabs.

Around 80 designers across the UK entered the competition, judged by a panel of Oliver Butler (Argent), Danny Sinclair (Alan Johnston Partnership), Peter Saville, Jon Matthews (HKR) and Tim Whitley (Arup).

The winning design will be transformed into the largest piece of public art in Manchester which will take the form of a sun shutter across the front of the Hive building on Lever Street. The winner will also receive £5,000.

The finalists are Adam Coward and Andrew Murch from London, Neil Tinson from Cornwall and Marc Thomas and Millimetre from Brighton.

The judges will make a final decision in December 2008.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....sign-finalists

[heatonparkincakes]

Why do I feel that it is really important for them and us to get this right.

Its a tricky one. Essentially its the bridge between the "new" Ancoats and Piccadilly Gardens and Basin.

But its also within the NQ.

Tip one way and the NQ becomes another upper deansgate, the other way and it wouldnt be profitable enough.

[highriser]

This site is now fenced off ,,, what is the situation with the Hive ?

[spoonsbeatfish]

Why does the Pedestrianisation and revamp of the square have to wait for this development anyway? As I read it, its untill Phase 2 or 3 that any of it even faces on to the square, or is it that the redevelopment cost is going to be paid for by the land purchase of the bus station?

[flange]

There is 2 phases for the developement Phase 2 is the one facing Stephenson Sq, all the information is here

http://www.thehivemanchester.com/areamap.html

[flange]

The Arts Council is being lined up as the anchor tenant of Argent's Manchester office development The Hive. The development, in Stevenson Square, comprises 76,000 sq ft of space in its first phase. The Arts Council is understood to be taking 18,000 sq ft. Phase two of the project will begin in 2009.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....-/-/whats-news

[monkey_rat]

anyone have any idea when phase 1 starts?

[heatonparkincakes]

That would be a coup to have a branch of the Arts Council lodged in the NQ.

Could - if its more than just a pidgeon sized office - a tasty catalyst to draw even more arty creative types to the quarter.

(Assuming of course that the surge of increasing rents following re development don t squeeze such people out.)

[Mez]

The Express building could make a nice Tate. (from the outside at least)

[heatonparkincakes]

Tate Mancunia

Nice ring. Doubt it though, aint it devoted to new technology and so on.

Plus Tate,a scouse well formerly so, wouldnt do the dirty in mancunia

By the way any one heard anything about that Frank Cohen art musuem in spinningfield. As I aint.