Manchester Science Partnerships’ (MSP) new 70,000 sq ft flagship Bright Building has reached practical completion.
Located in the heart of Manchester, the BDP-designed building is intended to act as the central hub for the entire 150-strong community of science and technology businesses within MSP. It will also be a focal point for the wider Corridor Manchester innovation district.
It will serve as the new headquarters for Innovate UK’s Internet of Things city demonstrator, CityVerve, and will also be home to numerous tech businesses based in Mi-IDEA – an innovation centre for start-ups operated in partnership with Cisco.
The four-storey building offers prospective customers floorplates from 2,000 to 15,000 sq ft, affording the flexibility and capacity for blue chip corporates to co-locate with pioneering start-up enterprises.
BDP is also working on the overall masterplan for Manchester Science Park to grow the combined city centre estate to 1m sq ft. Internal fit-out works for the building have been undertaken with support from fit-out specialist Sheila Bird Group.
The layout is intended to maximise chance encounters, fostering the collaborative culture that MSP facilities are renowned for. The majority of the 20,000 sq ft ground floor is given over to a communal space, equally suited to events for up to 200 people, or informal socialising.
Saw-tooth windows to the east and west facade provide breakout spaces
The upper levels of the building provide two uninterrupted open plan floor plates spanning a clear 15 metres in width, from which a view into the atrium is achieved. Here, an eye-catching lighting installation shines brightly through the external glazing and is visible from the wider surroundings and the University of Manchester campus.
MSP set about to challenge traditional design concepts with the Bright Building, and future developments on the Citylabs campus, by focusing on community-centric design which works across organisational and functional boundaries.
A balance of contrast, light and darkness has been employed to create drama and visual interest, while on the upper floors of the building, saw-tooth windows to the east and west facade provide breakout spaces for meetings.
Construction work was divided into individual trade packages with the shell and core delivered by local contractor Marcus Worthington & Co; glazing and curtain walling by Quest Solutions; M&E by A&B Engineering; and internal fit-out by Amspec.
Thomas Renn, managing director of MSP, said: “The Bright Building is the first new build on Manchester Science Park in more than 15 years. Its name and design reflect our hopes for it with people and place being championed above traditional bricks and mortar design. Home to pioneering initiatives like CityVerve and Mi-IDEA, it will be a key digital innovation centre for the north, providing the ideal environment for fresh ideas and new technologies to be taken from inception to market.”
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