One Angel Square is a high-rise office building in Manchester, England. Construction work began in 2010 and was completed in February 2013. The landmark building is the head office of the Co-operative Group. Standing tall, the building forms the centrepiece of the £800 million NOMA development in the Angel Meadows area of Manchester city centre. The building cost at least £105 million to construct and was sold on leaseback terms in 2013 for £142 million.
One Angel Square is one of the most sustainable large buildings in Europe and is built to a BREEAM 'Outstanding' rating. It is powered by a biodiesel cogeneration plant using rapeseed oil to provide electricity and heat. The structure makes use of natural resources, maximising passive solar gain for heat and using natural ventilation through its double-skin façade, adiabatic cooling, rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and waste heat recycling.
The building's distinctive form has been compared to a sliced egg and a ship. Its design was announced by architects 3DReid in May 2009 and construction began in July 2010, with a projected completion date in March 2013. In December 2012, the scheme surpassed its pan-European sustainability aims and achieved a world-record BREEAM score of 95.32%. It is also an energy-plus building, producing surplus energy and zero carbon emissions. The building has received numerous awards for its striking aesthetic and sustainability aims.
History
Background
The Co-operative Group announced plans to move from its headquarters on Miller Street and Corporation Street to a new site in the Greater Manchester area in 2008. From 2008 to 2011, the group grew strongly according to CEO Peter Marks, membership doubled to six million and revenue and profits also doubled. Takeovers of Somerfield and the Britannia Building Society fuelled impetus for new head offices to accommodate the growth.
In December 2008, the group announced it would remain in Manchester city centre and would regenerate land opposite its Miller Street base. The new building is close to Angel Meadow, the site of a 19th-century slum once described by Friedrich Engels as "hell on earth". Archaeologists conducted a survey in 2010, which continued into 2012.
The CIS Tower and the Co-operative Bank's Balloon Street headquarters were unaffected by the development. New Century Hall, home to Co-operative Food, the Dantzic, Hanover, Redfern and Federation Buildings were subsequently vacated and renovated for let.
In 2011, the Co-operative announced the NOMA project, North of Manchester city centre, to regenerate a site with office, retail, residential and hotel space to encourage visitors from the city centre. Manchester City Council contributed £20m to the project as an incentive for redevelopment.
In December 2011, the Co-operative announced its new headquarters would be known as One Angel Square.
Construction
Construction work began in July 2010, soon after planning permission was granted. The first task was installing the 539 pile foundations - each at an average depth of . Work soon began on assembling the 3,300 tonnes of steel and 1,948 coffered concrete floor slabs which make up the structure of the building. BAM Construction was the main building contractor with cost management, project management and CDM coordination provided by Gardiner & Theobald. Specialist services were supplied by Buro Happold for structural and fire engineering and Austrian-based Waagner Biro was commissioned to build the double skin façade. The structure was digitally modelled by BAM before commencing assembly and construction to improve safety and create a building schedule thus saving time during the construction process.
More than 4,000 workers from over 90 companies were involved in the building's construction, making it the largest building site outside South East England. The building was topped out in November 2011 and work began assembling the bronze-coloured diagonal panels of the exterior façade. The panels were installed using roped access techniques.
An estimated £17m of building materials out of the total £100m cost was locally sourced, reducing embodied energy and minimising environmental impact. Mecanoo and Manchester-based Royal Haskoning designed the landscape in front of the building.