Architects name their top new apartments in Manchester

Manchester projects have scooped half of the gongs available at the 2021 RIBA North West Awards - and two of the four accolades have gone to striking and contemporary apartments offering modern Manchester city life.

Baker Place and Murrays’ Mills have both received RIBA awards.

Baker Place

This is a development of 67 apartments in Hulme designed by OMI Architects which is part of One Manchester.

Located on the corner of Chorlton Road and Royce Road, its two-bedroom apartments are all fully let.

Three buildings, which are all either four or five storeys tall, are arranged around a landscaped central courtyard.

The flats also have a number of eco-features.

Large balconies are also a particularly eye-catching aspect of the design.

The name of the development pays tribute to Hulme’s history, honouring photographer Shirley Baker who was known for her snaps of Manchester street scenes and depictions of working-class life.

Murrays’ Mills

This ambitious development in Ancoats is part of attempts to breathe new life into the world’s oldest steam-powered cotton mill.

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has transformed the collection of listed ex-industrial buildings, which are all located around a courtyard, into 124 chic homes.

There is a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and a townhouse.

Manchester Life has been overseeing the revitalisation of this site, where construction on a mill was first begun by the Murray brothers back in 1797.

While plenty of modern technology has been used a large number of historic features, including the original stone circular stairs, exposed brickwork and beams, have all been retained.

Which other Manchester buildings have won prizes?

The RIBA judges also gave North West awards to The Oglesby Centre at Hallé St Peter’s, an extension to the church in Ancoats for its use by the famous orchestra, and Wythenshawe Hall.

Those two also both secured extra prizes.

The Oglesby Centre, designed by architects Stephenson Hamilton Risley STUDIO, scooped the RIBA North West Sustainability Award.

And Wythenshawe Hall, a project led by Buttress Architects, took the RIBA North West Conservation Award.

What happens now?

The RIBA North West Award winners will now be considered for a highly-coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced on Thursday 9 September.

The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the national award-winning projects later in the year.

What did the judges say?

Regional jury chairman Gavin Henderson said: “The diverse range of projects recognised by the awards reflects the ambition of clients, and strength of design across the region.

“It is especially rewarding to see a number of projects raising the bar in terms of design and quality of housing – a major challenge across the country – and the best projects, critically, making significant steps towards tackling the challenges of the climate emergency.

“These are exemplary schemes in which the value of good design and the impact that has on the experience and wellbeing of the people using the buildings has stood out even more clearly in the challenging context of the past year.”