Buttress was first appointed by easyHotel in 2015 to convert a former shipping warehouse in the heart of Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter into a 116-bedroom budget hotel. The building is Grade II listed and is located within the Stevenson Square Conservation Area.
As such, our designs have sought to build on the industrial heritage of the building’s past, offering a scheme that conserves the existing heritage for future reuse.
Externally, the building envelope has been refurbished, reinstating the warehouse’s original features. The original goods entrance on Dale St once again becomes the main entrance to the building, leading into a compact reception space where a glazed screen defines the public and private areas of the hotel.
Internally, the designs aim to create the sense that the bathrooms and bedrooms are ‘stored’ within the warehouse. Existing iron columns, detailed connections and connecting oak beams remain exposed in their entirety within public corridors, bridging the modern design of the rooms with the building’s industrial past.
The building succeeds as an individual standalone building as well as a component of the wider and future urban environment with influence on and contribution to the local economy and community.
We have since continued our relationship with the budget hotel brand with the development of further sites in Birmingham and Ipswich.
Gavin Sorby
Gavin is managing director at Buttress with experience in various sectors across the practice, with a specific focus on commercial projects.
Martin Kirkpatrick
Martin is an experienced architect who has successfully delivered projects across a broad range of sectors, most recently specialising in hotels, multi-residential, mixed-use, and masterplanning work.
David Coulson
David is an associate at Buttress with experience across a broad range of sectors, with a focus on later living, education, commercial, and cultural projects.