Plans submitted for iconic office building in MediaCity

Peel Media Ltd has submitted plans for an iconic, new, highly sustainable 350,000 sq ft grade A office building in the heart of MediaCity, in Salford, Greater Manchester. These new plans signal the next phase for the creative, digital and tech destination’s expansion plans, and the first significant development milestone since Landsec’s 75% acquisition in November 2021.

Positioned opposite ITV and The University of Salford media campus, the plot already has detailed planning consent for a 117,000 sq ft office building backing onto Broadway. Nearly tripling the potential space of this building, the revised plans will also include 15,000 sq ft of leisure and independent retail space on the ground floor and a 283 capacity safe bike hub with changing facilities to encourage sustainable travel.

With a focus on green space there will be 28,000 sq ft of public realm to support the health and wellbeing of future occupiers and for the public to enjoy. New planting will maximise amenity and biodiversity value and will include multi stemmed trees, shrubs and herbaceous grasses.

The façade of the 11-storey building will feature attractive, green balconies on every other level as well as an outdoor terrace, for workers to enjoy, running across the top floor with floor to ceiling glass. The exterior will also feature aluminium panelling which is both architecturally striking and will be less carbon intensive in the design and construction phase.

The highly sustainable building will join the significant cluster of net zero carbon buildings currently within MediaCity’s portfolio. It will aspire to achieve BREEAM Outstanding, EPC A rating as well as be Net Zero Carbon, using the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Framework and achieve Well Gold, with the goal of reaching Platinum status.

Stephen Wild, Managing Director MediaCity said: “These revised plans will bring a striking, new and sustainable building to MediaCity which will be one of the largest grade A office buildings in Manchester.  A considerable area within the development will cater for SMEs within our flexible workspace offer Arrive as well as larger office floor plates for businesses with a greater space requirement. Its design, spec and feel will very much reflect the innovative and cutting-edge immersive industries we will be targeting as we move into the next phase of MediaCity’s evolution.”

Mark Allan, CEO, Landsec said: “MediaCity is a unique destination, currently unrivalled in the UK for its breadth of offering, from global content creation and innovation, to waterside living and leisure. Mixed-use developments such as this, with a clear sense of place, are becoming an increasingly important ingredient in the fabric of our cities. This next step in MediaCity’s evolution demonstrates our commitment to Salford and the vibrancy of the office market in Greater Manchester.”

Subject to planning, the scheme has a start on site date of Summer 2023.

Architects: Sheppard Robson