Albany Crown Tower
| Albany Crown Tower | |
|---|---|
 Render of how the tower is expected to look when completed. |
|
| General information | |
| Status | Never built |
| Type | Hotel / Offices / Residential[1] |
| Coordinates | 53°28′44.4″N 2°14′2.4″W / 53.479°N 2.234°WCoordinates: 53°28′44.4″N 2°14′2.4″W / 53.479°N 2.234°W |
| Estimated completion | Unknown |
| Cost | £83 million[2] |
| Height | |
| Roof | Over 160 m (520 ft)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 54[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ian Simpson[3] |
| Developer | Albany Crown[1] |
The Albany Crown Tower (or simply the Albany Tower) was a planned development for the city of Manchester in England. Its proposed location is on Aytoun and Auburn Streets,[4] fronting onto Rochdale Canal[1] and near Piccadilly Station. If constructed it will be one of the tallest buildings in Manchester. It was expected to cost £83 million.[2] It was designed by Ian Simpson,[3] and was due to be developed by Albany Crown.[1]
Planning permission was given in 2005 but as of late 2010 construction has still not commenced and the developer Albany entered administration in May 2010 seemingly leaving the project dead in the water.
Contents |
[edit] History
The original proposed height of the building was 131 m (430 ft), with 44 floors,[3] providing 35,298.00 square metres of space.[2] The ground floor will be occupied by retail stores, with floors 1 through 23 (140,000 square feet of space) occupied by a hotel. Floors 24 through 41 will be residential, while the top two floors will house a penthouse.[5] In total there will be 237 flats.[1] On 10 May 2007 it was revealed that Albany are now planning to add a further 10 stories to the main tower, increasing its size to over 160 m (525 ft).[1]
Adjoining the main tower will be a smaller, 11 storey tower, at 49 m (160 ft), with approximately 14,500 square metres of space.[2] This will be occupied by retail stores on the ground floor, and offices on the remaining floors.[5]
The planning application for the development was submitted on 21 February 2005.[6] Albany then purchased the site in October 2005[7] for £6 million.[1] Planning permission was approved on the 11 November 2005.[6]
[edit] Delays and difficulties
The site is currently occupied by a derelict 5-storey office building built in the 1960s,[8] and occupied by the Labour Exchange,[1] part of the Department of Employment.[9] This was due for demolition in early 2006, however, it remains standing.[7] The project is currently believed to have stalled thanks to the failure of Albany Assets to sell all the apartments in their existing developments.[2][10] There have been reports of the possibility of Virgin Group boss Richard Branson opening the first of a chain of Virgin City Hotels in the tower.[11]
[edit] Postponement of project
After years of financial turmoil for the developer Albany Crown, they entered administration in May 2010 leaving a forlorn chance of the skyscraper ever being constructed.[12] As of July 2011, over six years since planning permission had been granted, no brick has been laid.
[edit] See also
- Beetham Tower - the current tallest building in Manchester
- Piccadilly Tower - an approved tallest building in Manchester at 188m currently on hold as of 2010
- Intercontinental Tower, Manchester - a proposed 200m skyscraper
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "City towers aim higher and higher". 10 May 2007. http://www.metronews.co.uk/news/s/603862_city_towers_aim_higher_and_higher. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ a b c d e "Building - 1873 - Crown Building - Manchester". SkyScraperNews. 23 July 2007. http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=1873. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ a b c "Albany Tower, Manchester". Emporis. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=244703. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ "Albany Assets Buy Crown Tower Site". SkyScraperNews. 7 December 2005. http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=501.
- ^ a b "Albany Crown - Manchester (Official site)". http://www.albanycrown.com/. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ a b "Manchester City Council: Planning Application Details (074821/FO/2005/C3)". http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=IC9DLZBC30000. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ^ a b "Crown Building Faces Troubled Times". SkyScraperNews. 13 June 2007. http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=965. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ "Another Jewel in Manchesters Crown". 14 March 2005. http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=199. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ "Albany wins a towering £6m project". Manchester Evening News. 13 December 2005. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/191/191255_albany_wins_a_towering_6m_project.html. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ "Albany in administration as property sale collapses". Liverpool Daily Post. 7 June 2007. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/business/business-local/tm_headline=albany-in-administration-as-property-sale-collapses&method=full&objectid=19257426&siteid=50061-name_page.html. Retrieved 2008-02-23.[dead link]
- ^ "Virgin in new hotel 'talks'". Manchester Evening News. 25 March 2008. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1042265_virgin_in_new_hotel_talks.
- ^ "Albany collapse threatens tower bid". http://www.cnplus.co.uk.+10 May 2010. http://www.cnplus.co.uk/technical/tall-buildings/albany-collapse-threatens-tower-bid/5217502.article. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
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