Member Article

Noir appointed by developers of Manchester's iconic Toast Rack building

Brand communications agency Noir has been appointed by developers of Toast Rack, one of Manchester’s most infamous pieces of architecture, to complete a creative brand identity for the listed building which is being redeveloped into state of the art residential space by Generation Ltd.

The agency has been briefed to create a timeless brand for internal and external communications that acknowledges the rich history of the building and its iconic 1960’s architecture, while reflecting the futuristic plans for the development created by Ollier Smurthwaite Architects and SixTwo Architects.

The building, which was part of Manchester Metropolitan University’s campus, aims to deliver 210 apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms, complete with gymnasium, artisan coffee shop and glass-covered winter garden, along with 7,000 sq ft of retail space.

Shehzad Chaudhri, spokesperson for Generation Ltd, said: “We are excited to be working with Noir on this project. From our first meeting, we were impressed with their enthusiasm, energy and attention to detail. We were looking for a young, dynamic company to bring a fresh perspective to this project, and for a team who didn’t necessarily have a property background or focus. They bring something very different to the table and we look forward to seeing what they produce.”

Anthony Logan, CEO of Noir, added: “Generation were actively seeking a new agency to handle this project and reached out to us. We quickly realised that we shared a lot of the same values and beliefs, in terms of both business and design. From the initial meeting, we felt very passionate about the Toast Rack project, it’s a building we all know well and a journey we wanted to be a part of.”

The project win cements another exciting period of growth for the agency which has secured a significant investment after only eight months in business. Anthony and his business partner Alex Mellor have also made a number of significant hires to double the size of agency’s team, which now totals nine.

Anthony continued: “Since relocating to a larger office we’ve embarked on an aggressive recruitment drive to source a diverse range of talented designers and account handlers equipped to work with the breakthrough brands we’re attracting, both here in Manchester and overseas in Europe and America. Our clients are invested in their vision and are looking to push the traditional boundaries of what’s considered a ‘brand’, which is where we feel we can add real value as an agency.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Joanna Taylor .