Work is now well underway to completely revamp one of Manchester’s most recognisable buildings, Pall Mall.
The Grade II-listed building on the beautiful King Street will be totally transformed into a new city centre innovation hub by Bruntwood SciTech.
You’ve probably walked past it hundreds of times, but soon there’ll be a chance for freelancers, start-ups, and established businesses to step inside and call it home.
For those self-employed of you out there, there are no scary commitments to worry about when Pall Mall reopens – you can just walk in and book a pay-as-you-go-desk, work at the cafe, sign up for a coworking membership, or go all the way to serviced offices or sign up for the sort of office space you can put your own stamp on – all with flexible payment options.
Once completed, there’ll be 12 floors of work spaces for between one and 70 people across three interconnected towers.
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If you spend your 9-5 in one of the office spaces at Pall Mall, you’ll have access to a free state-of-the-art gym, a contemplation room, a lounge and library space, and a roof terrace with panoramic views across Manchester city centre.
There’ll also be secure EV charging points and a large cycle hub, plus plenty of greenery added through an outdoor piazza and revitalised entrance space. And every communal space will operate at net zero carbon. Snazzy.
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Pall Mall is a 90,000 sq ft giant in the heart of Manchester, with a rich cultural and historical significance and is an example of a high-quality post-war site.
CGIs released as part of the plans show bright and open work spaces with lots of fully fitted offices ready to move straight into, plus a totally overhauled outdoor space to make use of an often-overlooked external space in the city centre.
Pall Mall will have a revitalised piazza outside. Credit: Bruntwood SciTechThere’ll be a cafe on site at Pall Mall. Credit: Bruntwood SciTech
The ambitious £30m project comes from Bruntwood SciTech, the UK’s largest dedicated property platform dedicated to growing the science, tech and innovation sectors, which is a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund, who last October announced that they would be investing a further £500m into building or refurbing work-class spaces for these types of businesses, and Pall Mall was one of these first commitments.
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Principal contractor Dragonfly has been appointed to build the Sheppard Robson-designed development and local teams also working on the development include Ramboll as sustainability consultants, Deloitte as planning consultants, heritage consultant Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture and structural engineers DWLLP.
Businesses will be able to move into adaptable and flexible workspaces, with different lease lengths available to cater for businesses as they grow.
Those moving into Pall Mall will be part of a culture that prioritises sustainable growth, from the net-zero communal spaces to the net-zero construction, with the building’s original structure being maintained to save 7,900 tonnes of additional carbon (the equivalent of one passenger making 26,000 flights from London to New York).
There’ll be an all-electric heating and cooling system, a smart building management system, and new mechanical ventilation heat recovery units to maximise energy efficiency and provide fresh air control to businesses.
Pall Mall will have a gym. Credit: Bruntwood SciTechCGIs show how Pall Mall will look when the work is complete. Credit: Bruntwood SciTech
Once complete, Pall Mall is targeting a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating and EPC A rating – a significant achievement for a Grade II listed, 1960s building.
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Their green credentials have been noticed – Pall Mall is a finalist in the 2024 edie Awards for Green Building Project of the Year, and also won Best Commercial Unbuilt Project at the 2024 Manchester Society of Architects Awards.
Start-ups, scale-ups and global businesses alike will gain access to a UK-wide network of 1100 like-minded businesses across Bruntwood SciTech’s community, which spans 31 city centre hubs and nine science and technology campuses in six cities, and in Manchester includes the likes of Circle Square, Manchester Science Park, Bond, Bloc, 111 Piccadilly and Blackfriars in Manchester.
There are big names who already operate from Bruntwood Scitech’s Manchester innovation hubs including – to name but a few – Roku, Deliveroo, AO, Social Chain, Mills & Reeve, and tonnes of freelancers.
They can access Bruntwood SciTech’s growth support, including direct access to funding and investors, highly skilled talent, new markets, and an extensive clinical, academic and public partner network.
Ciara Keeling, Chief Operating Officer for Bruntwood SciTech said: “Bruntwood SciTech has a strong blueprint for creating innovation ecosystems, having undertaken significant projects across many of the UK’s cities and regions.
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CGIs show how Pall Mall will look when the work is complete. Credit: Bruntwood SciTech
“We believe that these hubs are not only essential to the development, growth and success of many exciting innovation-focused businesses, but can play a significant role in transforming our regional economies and putting the UK on a path to achieving its ambitions of being an innovation powerhouse.
“Work commencing on our redevelopment of Pall Mall marks an important step in our mission to power economies through innovation, supporting Manchester to continue growing its support for the knowledge economy, and becoming a more environmentally sustainable city.
“Core to our vision for the building is to develop a workspace that caters specifically to the needs of disruptors and innovators, whilst also remaining acutely conscious of our responsibility to champion the building’s heritage and inherent character.”
Pall Mall’s redevelopment is targeted to complete in 2025, and is supported by Savills and CBRE.
Want to call Pall Mall home for your business? Enquire today.
Beloved Manchester Italian restaurant unveils big refurb
Thomas Melia
Much-loved Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five has just unveiled a beautiful refurbishment at one of its Manchester sites, along with a new menu of fresh, handmade pasta.
Gone is the famous yellow colour palette of this Italian eatery as they swap in a sophisticated and regal turquoise blue at their Liverpool Road restaurant.
This establishment is known for its impressive shop-window pasta making stations where you can see your food prepared live in-store and while walking past outside the venue.
They’re continuing their foodie legacy serving carby creations, like a flaming cheese wheel pasta where staff blowtorch the cheese to ensure it’s as melty as possible.
One of the biggest menu highlights at Italiana Fifty-Five is the cappellacci, which comes in two equally gorgeous forms and much like its English translation, emulates tiny hats.
These cute little plates come in two delicious stuffed pairings – the burrata, combined with a tangy tomato and beef filling, and a salmon with cream sauce and fresh lemon for a match made in heaven.
Beloved Manchester Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five unveils big refurb. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Italiana Fifty-Five as it unveils a new look on Liverpool Road. Credit: The Manc Group
How can you think of anything more ideal than a table full of hearty and home-comforting meals than one that also features an array of beautiful sides?
Usual delights like the burrata on a bed of rocket, tomato and finished off with a balsamic vinegar glaze area great addition to your already faultless food.
Cheesy garlic pizza bread is quintessential when dining in an Italian restaurant, and Italiana 55’s lovely flavour-packed favourite is a go-to when ordering here.
The Liverpool Road restaurant also has a tonnata pizza which uses toppings that are an exact ingredient breakdown of the Mediterranean sauce, which it shares its name with.
In photos: Italiana Fifty-Five has undergone a refurb. Credit: The Manc Group
What better way to wolf down some incredible Italian feasts than with some perfectly paired alcoholic offerings like the classic Aperol spritz, trusted espresso martinis and a selection of fine wines.
Their menu is staying as tasty as ever with their delicious pizzas and pastas, with the new fresh pasta menu available at their restaurants on Liverpool Road and in Didsbury.
Rochdale’s incredible fire festival will bring blazing sculptures and fiery displays to town this month
Daisy Jackson
Rochdale will be filled with dazzling pyrotechnic displays later this month when the Ignite Fire Festival returns to town.
The spectacular free event will see the gardens opposite the Rochdale Town Hall – which reopened to the public earlier this year – transformed with fiery displays, blazing sculptures and illuminated installations.
The smash hit event debuted last year, attracting more than 10,500 people, and this year’s will be even bigger with three nights of magical family entertainment.
And the festival will culminate on the Sunday with the Rochdale Christmas lights switch-on.
Ignite Fire Festival comes from Walk the Plank, the outdoor arts specialists behind some of the UK’s biggest and best outdoor arts events, who have called upon artists and pyro technicians to create the many installations on show.
Between 5pm and 8pm each night, visitors will be able to walk past fire-based sculptures like goblets of fire, a daisy chain of flaming flowers, a fire bird with blazing eyes, and smaller birds circling a flaming nest – to name just a few.
There’ll also be sculptures that twist, flap and erupt with balls of fire, and ‘In The Balance’ will be a festival highlight, where rotating globes of flame seemingly defy the laws of physics.
Ignite Fire Festival is back in Rochdale this month. Credit: Supplied
Each evening, a fire drawing designed and made by local residents will be ignited alongside flaming hot performances from some of the UK’s top talent including Flame Oz – a thrilling fire dancing and juggling show.
There’ll also be performances from Liverpool’s Bring the Fire Project, local favourites Skylight Circus Arts, and street theatre and interactive arts group Travelling Light Circus.
Visitors should look out for Drum Machine, a 20-strong drumming collective, The Fire Man Dave performing a live fire show with fire eating and juggling, and Astro Aliens, a trio of cosmic beings that will entertain all ages.
The incredible event, sponsored by car supermarket The Trade Centre UK, is set to take place between Friday 22 and Sunday 24 November.
Ignite Fire Festival takes place in the gardens opposite the Rochdale Town HallThere’ll be performers as well as pyrotechnic sculptures. Credit; SuppliedIgnite Fire Festival is back for a second year. Credit: Supplied
After exploring the gardens, you’ll be able to pick up hot food, mulled wine and other seasonal drinks served each night.
On Sunday, Father Christmas will be in town to switch on the Christmas lights at 5.30pm in front of the town hall.
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council said: “Last year’s Ignite Fire Festival and Christmas Light’s Switch On was a fantastic event and an instant hit with audiences from across Greater Manchester.
“It’s an exciting and unique event and the perfect addition to our big switch-on, providing family entertainment across the weekend.”
Mark Bailey, founder and owner of sponsor Trade Centre UK added: “Our partnership with Ignite Fire Festival and the Rochdale Christmas Lights Switch On is a fantastic opportunity to give back to a community that has welcomed us so warmly.
“At Trade Centre UK, we believe in more than just selling cars; we believe in being part of the fabric of the local area. Supporting events like this, which bring people together to celebrate in the heart of Rochdale, aligns perfectly with our core values of community and connection.”
The event is free, and no tickets are required. Ignite is organised by Rochdale Borough Council in partnership with Walk the Plank and Culture Co-op, a ‘Creative People and Places’ programme, funded by Arts Council England.
Find out more and plan your visit to Ignite Fire Festival HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
16th September 2024 
