Soller has secured planning consent for its NXQ office development on Lever Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
The landmark development will provide 121,000 sq ft of office space arranged over 18 floors. In addition to a multi-purpose communal reception and a restaurant unit, NXQ will also feature a tech hub providing ‘touch down’ space for occupants of the building.
Designed by Howells, the building gets wider as it rises, due to its cantilevered floors.
Nick Treadaway, founding partner and chief executive of Soller, said: “We are thrilled to have secured successful planning consent for NXQ. The design has been carefully considered to offer a perfect combination of past and present with a focus on sustainability and we are excited to see this unique development come to life. Soller has worked closely with Manchester City Council to bring this exceptional scheme forward into a market that has a chronic undersupply of best in class office space.”
Dav Bansal, from Howells, added: “Our adaptive re-use of an existing block will deliver a new tech hub which pays homage to the exceptional Art Deco ‘Streamline Moderne’ Express Building, alongside the careful and measured retention and restoration of historic buildings and facades along Lever Street.
“The design of NXQ aims to provide a signpost for the Northern Quarter. The cantilevered structure is achieved using an efficient raking column, which creates an interesting dynamic with the historic buildings. It is a striking design, which embraces the unique character of the area and will provide a distinctive silhouette which the city can be proud of.”
Daniel Barnes, office agency director at Savills Manchester, which has been appointed joint letting agents on NXQ with Knight Frank, said: “NXQ is an exciting new development that will add a new dynamic to Manchester’s office market and deliver some much needed, high quality and sustainable space. Following the successful planning consent, we are excited to be involved with the scheme and have no doubt that it will appeal to a wide range of occupiers.”
