.gif)
North Tower (Salford)
Encyclopedia
North Tower is a highrise building on Victoria Bridge Street in Salford, England
. The building is 23 stories tall with a podium at the base, which gives it a total height of 80 metres (262.5 ft), making it the tallest building in Salford. The building lies just over the border with the City of Manchester
, less than 100 metres (328.1 ft) from Manchester Cathedral
, and is within Manchester City Centre
as defined by Manchester City Council
. The top twelve floors hold 96 apartments, with the lower ten used as a Premier Lodge hotel.
The building was designed and built by Leach, Rhodes & Walker (now Leach Rhodes Walker) for the Inland Revenue
, and was completed in 1966. This was not LRW's only work for Inland Revenue; they also constructed Aldine House in 1967, as well as Trinity Bridge House in 1998.
The tower was built using the (then) innovative technique of using a continuously climbing shutter to cast a central core; pre-fabricated cladding was then lifted into place using a tower crane. This technique led to rapid construction, avoided the need for scaffolding
, and allowed the lower floors to be occupied while building continued higher up. The combination was very cost-effective, however was not flawless: on a windy night the windows of the building blew off, ending up in Salford Bus Station.
It changed hands in 1994 for £7.7 million. The Inland Revenue announced plans to move out in 1995 in an early example of a Private Finance Initiative
, described as the most complex to date, and shortly afterwards the building was sold by London & Regional Properties
to the Bruntwood group. Between 1998 and 2000 the building was reclad, converted to its current use and renamed, at a total cost of £4.5 million. In 2004 the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
, George Ferguson, said that the building (along with the Arndale Centre
) was "dreadful" and should be demolished.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The building is 23 stories tall with a podium at the base, which gives it a total height of 80 metres (262.5 ft), making it the tallest building in Salford. The building lies just over the border with the City of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, less than 100 metres (328.1 ft) from Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...
, and is within Manchester City Centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
as defined by Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
. The top twelve floors hold 96 apartments, with the lower ten used as a Premier Lodge hotel.
The building was designed and built by Leach, Rhodes & Walker (now Leach Rhodes Walker) for the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
, and was completed in 1966. This was not LRW's only work for Inland Revenue; they also constructed Aldine House in 1967, as well as Trinity Bridge House in 1998.
The tower was built using the (then) innovative technique of using a continuously climbing shutter to cast a central core; pre-fabricated cladding was then lifted into place using a tower crane. This technique led to rapid construction, avoided the need for scaffolding
Scaffolding
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
, and allowed the lower floors to be occupied while building continued higher up. The combination was very cost-effective, however was not flawless: on a windy night the windows of the building blew off, ending up in Salford Bus Station.
It changed hands in 1994 for £7.7 million. The Inland Revenue announced plans to move out in 1995 in an early example of a Private Finance Initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
, described as the most complex to date, and shortly afterwards the building was sold by London & Regional Properties
London & Regional Properties
London & Regional Properties is a property company based in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest privately held property companies in Europe....
to the Bruntwood group. Between 1998 and 2000 the building was reclad, converted to its current use and renamed, at a total cost of £4.5 million. In 2004 the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
, George Ferguson, said that the building (along with the Arndale Centre
Manchester Arndale
Manchester Arndale is a large shopping centre in Manchester, England. The centre was built in the 1970s when many other cities were constructing large malls. Manchester Arndale is the largest of a chain of Arndale Centres built across the UK in the 1960s and 1970s...
) was "dreadful" and should be demolished.