Reid Architects
Projects
Landmark House, Manchester
Landmark House, Cheadle, is a 5 storey commercial office building. As part of an ongoing programme of works by Bruntwood Estates Ltd to improve the accessibility and identity of the building, Reid Architects were requested to carry out design proposals for a new extension and landscaping scheme to the existing frontage.
The brief called for a change of use from B1 to A3 and a new frontage to the building which in turn increases floor space from 3,500sq ft to 5,000sq ft. The new extension provides the building with a contemporary identity and brings interaction and vibrancy to the street scene. The proposals seek to enhance and improve the character and economic prosperity of the area.
The architectural language used here is simple and clear - the existing structural lines continue providing a communication between the old and new. The longitudinal nature of the extension reflects the horizontality of the existing building. The form of the building is a long and low zinc box, with an open face to the street side. The concept is a folded plane of zinc with a glass screen allowing visual connection through the unit. The entrance is signified by an extruded timber box form with the main entrance doors set back to provide depth to the elevation.
The landscape proposals seek to complement the contemporary language of the extension while still relating to the existing building and defining the public and private spaces clearly.