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Bruntwood Works submits plans for the transformation of historic Manchester bank into landmark work and hospitality space

Bruntwood Works has submitted a planning application to revive a landmark building in Manchester city centre with more than 150 years of banking history.

Bruntwood Works has submitted a planning application to revive a landmark building in Manchester city centre with more than 150 years of banking history. Considered a Victorian masterpiece, the Grade II* listed 38-42 Mosley Street was built in 1862 to house the Manchester and Salford Bank.

Bruntwood Works has submitted an initial planning application to give the historic site a reinvention as a workspace and leisure destination that incorporates the building’s grand original features, including the palatial double height banking hall and second floor dome room.

The plans include refurbishing four floors of office space into a range of suites, creating a new communal lounge, a unique hospitality offering housed in the old banking hall, plus basement wellness facilities including a gym, cycle scheme, showers and changing facilities.

The 33,000 sq ft development will look to meet Bruntwood’s 2030 net zero carbon targets and is set to complete in early 2023, according to the proposals.

The complete vision for 38-42 Mosley Street will be announced later in 2022, and the site will form a key location in the surrounding cluster of Bruntwood Works’ workspaces that includes 57 Spring Gardens, York House, Manchester Club, Pall Mall Court and Bloc, Bruntwood Works’ latest Pioneer workspace. 38-42 Mosley Street’s redevelopment will anchor this cluster of buildings to other Bruntwood Works assets around New York Street, including Neo and Faulkner House, further improving this district of the city.

Joshua Hancock, Head of Commercial at Bruntwood Works, said: “We’re dedicated to delivering our vision for the modern workspace, creating inspiring places that reflect the thriving city centres where they are located while bringing balance and wellness to our working lives.

“With the proposals for 38-42 Mosley Street, we have a unique opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind work and leisure destination in the heart of Manchester; an historic building brought back to life as a cutting-edge workspace.”

Designed by Edward Walters, who also created the city’s Free Trade Hall, the Italian palazzo style building has most recently been home to the Royal Bank of Scotland, who occupied the building in an office capacity from 2001 until 2020. A Bruntwood asset since 2004, plans seek to restore the bank to its former glory.

The building boasts a wealth of period details and will be sympathetically redeveloped by the project team, which includes architects AXI, Paul Butler Associates as planning and heritage consultant, and Hilson Moran as MEP and sustainability consultant.

Hancock added: “The plans represent a remarkable opportunity for businesses looking to relocate or expand into a heritage building in the heart of Manchester, and we are excited to announce further details of the project in the coming months.

“This redevelopment will add to the already thriving Bruntwood Works community in this part of the city, and we plan to work with local organisations to create a programme of events and activities that will incorporate art, culture, health, wellbeing and more.”

Full details of the scheme are set to be announced later this year.

Downtown in Business