Meeting pods and coffee shop coming to Manchester’s Bridgewater House with £1m investment

The next phase of refurbishment works at Bridgewater House in Manchester have been approved.

Real estate asset and investment manager APAM secured planning consent for a £1m transformation of the office building’s 6,000 sq ft reception area.

Located on Whitworth Street, the Grade II-listed property comprises over 200,000 sq ft of office space across 10 floors.

The new space, designed by Manchester firm Cube Architecture & Design, will serve as a hub offering informal meeting pods with IT connections and screens, as well as break-out space, a coffee shop, changing and shower facilities and free WiFi.

The project forms part of a wider £2.5m investment to upgrade Bridgewater House.

The site’s eighth floor is currently undergoing a full refurb. In the last nine months, the building’s external façades have also been renovated with new LED lighting installed.

APAM senior asset manager Peter Owen said: “Since we were appointed asset managers for Bridgewater House at the end of 2016, we have taken a number of steps to revamp the property and ensure that we can secure occupiers for 80,000 sq ft of vacant space over the next 6 – 12 months.

“The transformation of the reception is key to this. With Cube’s expertise, we have designed a scheme that’s more in keeping with the building’s cultural heritage and ensures occupiers can benefit from a communal, well-connected space with a range of convenient facilities.”

He continued: “The renovations to the 8th floor follow the same design brief with a focus on modern facilities but the retention of original features such as cast iron columns, brickwork and lift shafts.

“Once complete, the refurbishment work will not only greatly enhance the building’s appearance along Whitworth Street but provide a first-class office environment that will meet the needs of tenants now and in the future.”

The project is due for completion by October 2017.

Savills and OBI are joint letting agents for the building, which is part of UK office portfolio of Britannia Invest A/S, a Danish pension fund.

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