Gallery Gardens

Gallery Gardens is part of a wider masterplan for the Manchester Gardens area within Castlefield. This scheme forms the final and important piece of the De Trafford Manchester Gardens Masterplan, which sees the redevelopment of 6 brownfield sites located at the edge of the Castlefield Conservation area. Assembled over 8 years it will provide some 920 new dwellings with commercial and retail offerings arranged as a pedestrian focussed environment around a new public square.

Date

2020

Client

De Trafford Estates Group

Value

£59m

jmarchitects were appointed to design the latest piece in the wider Manchester Gardens masterplan. The prominent site bound by Chester Road, Hulme Hall Road and Ellesmere Street sits adjacent to the Castlefield Conservation area and along one of the main arterial routes into Manchester City Centre. The proposal by jmarchitects was informed by the parameters set by a pervious draft scheme for the site, whilst making improvements in terms of massing and unit numbers. The brief was to create a strong landmark to mark the gateway to the overall DeTrafford Masterplan, whilst providing robust detailing to further enhance the buildings heritage setting.

The proposal is formed from two buildings, with a new route between the two buildings, providing views toward the Grade II* St Georges Church. Block A is a horseshoe shaped footprint comprising between 8, 10 and 12 storeys. Block B is a linear building of 14 and 18 storeys with a commercial unit in the base on the corner of Chester Road and Hulme Hall Road. Both buildings have a range of one and two bedroom apartments, with three bedroom penthouses located in the top of Block B.

The articulation of the elevations was designed as a response to the industrial heritage on the north side of Ellesmere Street. Two complimentary brick types are the main material for the buildings, with the higher 18 storey element of Block B being clad in metal to signify the importance of this strategic gateway. The form of the elevations are designed with a strongly expressed geometric grid to bring the historic Mills of the area into the 21st century, whilst creating bold, yet subtle and finely detailed façade treatment.

One of the defining characteristics of this scheme, as with all DeTrafford developments, is the roof gardens masterplan which incorporates utilised roofs accessible to residents with a multitude of possible functions and uses. The roof garden masterplan concept consists of the provision of varying uses across all of DeTrafford’s buildings, whereby each roof has a specific function ranging from entertainment, business and relaxation provision.

Full Planning was secured in May 2020.