Located in Salford, an outer suburb of Manchester, Chimney Pot Park is a radical redevelopment of 349 residential units in a troubled terrace-house neighborhood. For years, the community suffered from low demand and declining value, and was plagued by crime and antisocial behavior, absentee landlords and irresponsible tenants, and open back alleys that encouraged neglect and vandalism. With the original housing stock slated for demolition, Urban Splash—a development company renowned for regenerating distressed or problematic sites—drastically reconfigured the internal design and layout of the homes while retaining the original façades and street pattern.
The Hilton Tower is a landmark 48-story, 46,452-square-meter (500,000- sf) skyscraper on a 0.5-hectare (1.2-ac) site in the Manchester city center. Completed in 2006 by the Beetham Organization, it was designed by Ian Simpson Architects, and with a height of 169 meters (554 ft), it is one of the United Kingdom’s tallest mixed-use buildings and the tallest structure in Manchester by a significant margin. In a relatively new concept for the country, a 279-bed Hilton hotel occupies the first 23 stories, culminating in the stunning Sky Bar, which offers uninterrupted views of the city and the surrounding countryside. Above that, 219 luxury apartments occupy the upper stories from level 25 to the triplex penthouse on level 47, which is the home of architect Ian Simpson—a clear demonstration of pride and affection for the project. Two basement levels provide resident car parking. A second phase of the development includes a 5,574-square-meter (60,000-sf) office development.
