Manchester City Council has announced plans to launch an international design competition this autumn to create a “world class space” in the area centred around Piccadilly Gardens.
With an estimated construction budget of around £25 million, the council is inviting urban design and landscape teams from across the globe to present their ideas for the regeneration of the 10-acre site – which also takes in Mosley Street and New York Street, Parker Street, the section of Portland Street which Piccadilly Gardens runs alongside, and the section of Piccadilly which runs alongside the gardens.
The Piccadilly area has been described as a “prominent gateway location” as it serves a unique range of functions – including as a major route through the city centre, a transport interchange, a space for markets and events, a meeting place and a green space to spend time.
The council says that work will continue to develop a detailed design brief ahead of expressions of interest being invited in autumn this year from those looking to take part in the competition.
The competition comes after over 1,700 responses were submitted by Manchester people, businesses and organisations at a consultation held earlier this year that discussed future uses for the area.
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An international design competition has launched to find a team to create a world-class space in and around Piccadilly Gardens.
Proposals will be based on a consultation earlier this year, which attracted 1,700 responses from residents.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 31, 2021
So, what brief will competition entrants need to follow then?
Manchester City Council says it envisages that Piccadilly will be a special place with a strong sense of identity, welcoming and uniquely-Mancunian, and one that allows for the flexible hosting of events.
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It must be “a place for all” that incorporates space where children can play, while full access and inclusivity will also be integral to the design process.
The council recognises that it is important to the people of Manchester to retain a green space in the centre of the city, and is calling for planting to encourage biodiversity and improve air quality in line with the wider environmental goals.
It is also essential that the design promotes safety, and is well lit with clear sightlines.
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The council says it is looking to potentially relocate existing Parker Street bus services if improved alternatives can be found, and the winning design will need to retain the existing listed monuments and statues, and tramlines and infrastructure, as well as the existing Pavilion structure.
The Piccadilly area has been described as a “prominent gateway location” as it serves a unique range of functions / Credit: Manchester City Council
Speaking ahead of the competition’s launch this autumn, Sir Richard Leese – Leader of Manchester City Council – said: “The Piccadilly area has the potential to become an outstanding open space in the heart of Manchester, befitting the city’s international status.
“We recognise that it needs to be transformed to ensure that it can realise its potential as a welcoming and flexible space.
“We want to create a place that people are talking about for all the right reasons.
“The publication of this notice is an important step closer to this aspiration and underlines the ambition we have for the area – ambition we know that Manchester people share – and we will of course be seeking further views from the public later down the line once we have a successful scheme to put to them.”
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You can find more about the Piccadilly Design Competitionhere.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
Manchester
Elbow teams up with Co-op Live to donate equipment to Manchester grassroots venues
Thomas Melia
Bury band Elbow have joined forces with Manchester’s biggest indoor arena, Co-op Live, in aid of supporting local grassroots venues.
The funds will help improve the already incredible music scene in Manchester, benefitting staples likes Night and Day Café, Matt and Phred’s Jazz Club, SOUP and more.
All of the donations will be distributed across six independent music venues and will be used for various instruments, PA equipment, backline technology and other necessities depending on the requirements of each site.
Elbow have teamed up with Co-op Live in aid of supporting Manchester grassroots venues.Credit: Supplied
This initiative has been keeping Manchester’s Northern Quarter in the forefront of people’s minds when it comes to live music as well as the impressive Co-op Live.
Alongside providing vital resources for these local institutions, Elbow teaming up with Co-op Live also helps cement the North West as one of the main powerhouses in relation to live music.
The latest efforts from the largest indoor arena in Manchester fall in line with celebrating one year of bringing some of the best live music to the city, being officially open for 12 months in May.
Co-op Live have made a commitment to the people and the planet, promising to donate £1 million annually to the Co-op Foundation.
The stunning Co-op Live venue, Manchester’s largest indoor arena.Elbow performing at Co-op Live, marking history as the first act to grace the venue.Credit: Audio North/Supplied
Manchester’s latest live music venue also contributed significantly to selected charities, including Happy Doggo – chosen by Liam Gallagher and Eric Clapton’s addiction recovery centre, Crossroads.
As Elbow teams up with Co-op Live, even more money is making its way to necessary resources, this time in the likes of crucial live music establishments.
Elbow front-person Guy Garvey says: “Playing Co-op Live’s opening night will stay with us for a lifetime, not least because of how incredible the room sounded.”
“When the venue donated funds in our name to support the city we love, it made complete sense to carry that through to the Northern Quarter and to venues that have meant so much to my bandmates and I throughout our career.”
Guy Dunstan, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Co-op Live, adds: “In the past year, I have been proud to see Co-op Live become an integral part of such an incredible city.”
“Teaming up with Elbow to directly support the venues that first put Manchester on the map, and to share something so intrinsic to us as venues – proper sound – is something truly special.”
Award-winning The Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon to kick off UK tour in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Multi award-winning musical Sunny Afternoon is set to kick off its UK tour here in Manchester later this year.
Following a sell-out run at Hampstead Theatre, the musical production featuring all the hit songs by legendary rock band The Kinks opened to critical acclaim at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End, where it ran for two years ahead of its sensational UK and Ireland tour throughout 2016/17.
It also collected four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in Music for Ray Davies, along the way.
Award-winning The Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon is kicking off its UK tour in Manchester / Credit: ATG Tickets
Set against the backdrop of Britain on the cusp of the rebellious 60s,Sunny Afternoon is described as being an ‘exhilarating and moving’ celebration of the music, life, and the band that changed it all, The Kinks.
Sunny Afternoon celebrates The Kinks’ raw energy, passion, and timeless sound.
Charting the ‘euphoric highs’ and ‘agonising lows’, the smash-hit production tells the band’s story through an incredible back catalogue of chart-toppers – including ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘Lola’, ‘All Day and All of the Night’, and of course, ‘Sunny Afternoon’ itself.
Tickets are on sale now from just £15 each / Credit: Kevin Cummins
Producers Sonia Friedman Productions and ATG Productions announced last week that the show would be returning for another UK tour later this year, and it’ll be opening right here on one of Manchester‘s most iconic stages.
The hit musical will open at Manchester’s Palace Theatre on 10 October 2025 and it will run right through until 18 October.
Sunny Afternoon has music and lyrics, and an original story, all by the band’s frontman Ray Davies, along with a book by Joe Penhall, direction by Edward Hall, design by Miriam Buether, and choreography by Adam Cooper.