TheCIS Toweris ahigh-riseoffice building on Miller Street inManchester,England. Designed for theCo-operative Insurance Society(CIS) by architectsGordon Taitand G. S. Hay, the building was completed in 1962 and rises to 118 m (387 ft) in height. As of February 2024, the Grade IIlisted buildingis Greater Manchester's12th-tallest buildingand the tallest office building in the United Kingdom outside London. The tower remained as built for over 40 years, until maintenance issues on the service tower required an extensive renovation, which included covering its façade insolar panels.
| CIS Tower | |
|---|---|
 The CIS Tower with solar panel-clad service tower on the left and glazed office tower on the right. | |
| Record height | |
| Tallest inUnited Kingdomfrom 1962 to 1963[I] | |
| Preceded by | Shell Centre |
| Surpassed by | Millbank Tower |
| General information | |
| Status | Grade II |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | International Style |
| Location | Manchester,England |
| Coordinates | 53°29′11″N2°14′18″W/ 53.48639°N 2.23833°W |
| Construction started | September 1959 |
| Completed | 1962 |
| Opening | 22 October 1962 |
| Renovated | 2006 |
| Cost | £3.98 million |
| Owner | Castlebrook Investments |
| Height | |
| Roof | 118 m (387 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 25 |
| Floor area | 388,000 sq ft (36,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Gordon Tait G. S. Hay |
| Developer | Co-operative Insurance Society |
| Designations | |
Listed Building– Grade II | |
| Official name | Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) Building |
| Designated | 24 November 1995 |
| Reference no. | 1270494 |
Location
editThe tower is situated on Miller Street, which forms theManchester Inner Ring Road,and stands adjacent toNew Century House,a high-rise office building also designed by Gordon Tait and G. S. Hay and constructed concurrently for the CIS's parent company, the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS).[1]The plot on which the building stands had been heavily bombed duringWorld War IIand subsequently cleared.[2]The site chosen for CIS Tower and New Century House was one of two areas of land offered by the local authority; the other site was inPiccadilly,but this came with the condition that any development scheme had to include shops and a hotel.[3]Not wishing to compromise their autonomy, the CIS board chose the Miller Street site.[3]
Opposite the tower sitsOne Angel Square,which opened in 2013 and serves as the headquarters of theCo-operative Group(the successor to the CWS). The complex of buildings formNOMA(a portmanteau of 'North Manchester'), a 20 acres (8.1 hectares) area of land previously known as the Co-operative Estate. The area was developed by the Co-operative Group in a joint venture withHermes Investment Management.In 2017, the Co-operative Group sold its stake in NOMA to Hermes Investment Management in order to focus on its core retail business, however, it remains a tenant in several buildings.[4]More than 6,500 people work in the neighbourhood.[4]
Design
edit
Form
editThe office tower building rises above a five-storeypodiumblock. Each of the podium floors is 75 m × 55 m (246 ft × 180 ft), providing 4,125 m2(44,400 sq ft) floor space per storey.[5]Each office floor in the tower is 18 m × 44 m (59 ft × 144 ft), creating 727 m2(7,830 sq ft) floor space per storey.[5]The tower element consists of the steel-framed main office building and a windowlessreinforced concreteservice tower.[6]The service tower rises higher than the main office block and houses lifts and stairwells.[7]
The building has a symmetrical plan, with the main tower rising up from the north-eastern end of the podium block and projecting at the front over the first two floors and the main entrance.[2]The service tower is attached to the centre of the main tower's south-west side, forming a squat T-shape.[2]In total, the building has 388,000 sq ft (36,000 m2) of floor area,[8]with clear open spaces on the office floors.
Façade
editBoth the office tower and podium feature glasscurtain wallswith metal window frames. Blackvitreous enamelpanels demarcate the floor levels. The building materials, glass, enamelled steel and aluminium, were chosen so that the building could remain clean in the polluted Manchester atmosphere.[9]
The tower's concrete service shaft, which rises above the office tower, has two bands of vents at the top and was clad in a mosaic made up of 14 million centimetre-square greytesserae.[2]designed to shimmer and sparkle.[10]
Interiors
editA greenbronze-like, abstractmuralsculpted byWilliam Mitchellmade fromfibreglasscovers the entrance hall's rear wall.[2]Interiors were designed byMisha Blackof theDesign Research Unit.The executive areas are delineated by the use ofteakand cherrywood veneers.[9]
Development
editPlanning
editThe CIS board of directors decided that a new headquarters was needed to accommodate its 2,500 staff, who were dispersed in 10 different buildings across Manchester.[5]In January 1953, CIS General Manager Robert Dinnage told his board to begin planning a new head office and that year entered into initial discussions with Manchester Corporation (nowManchester City Council).[11]The design brief for the building, devised by Dinnage, was threefold: to convey the prestige of the CIS and theco-operative movement;to improve the appearance of Manchester in which the Society was one of the largest financial organisations; and to provide first-class accommodation for the staff.[2]
The CIS board formed a chief office premises sub-committee to oversee the project. A deputation of appointed architects, designers and directors travelled toItaly,theUnited StatesandCanadato examine contemporary office design.[12]The tower's design was influenced bySkidmore, Owings & Merrill'sInland Steel Buildingin Chicago after a visit by the architects in 1958.[10]Having viewed the Inland Steel Building, the project team decided to aim for clear unbroken floors unobstructed by lift shafts and toilets to provide maximum flexibility.[11]
In 1958, the company proposed building an office tower block, designed by G.S. Hay, chief architect of the CWS with Gordon Tait of Sir John Burnet, Tait and Partners.
Construction
editConstruction began in September 1959 and was completed in 1962 at a cost of £3.98 million (equivalent to approximately £86.8 million in 2020).[5][13][14]The main contractors for the CIS Tower wereJohn Laing Construction Ltd,with A.E. Beer as the structural engineering consultant, and O. Castick, Chief Engineer of CWS as the engineering services consultant.[2]
The CIS Tower was officially opened byPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburghon 22 October 1962.[2]At 118 m (387 ft), the tower overtook theShell Centreas thetallest building in the United Kingdom,a title it retained for a year until it was replaced by theMillbank Towerin London. It remained thetallest building in Greater Manchesteruntil it was surpassed by theBeetham Towerin 2006.[15]
Renovation
edit
Within six months of construction, some of the mosaic tiles on the service tower became detached owing to cement failure and lack ofexpansion jointsin the concrete. Although the tower was granted listed building status in 1995, falling tiles were an ongoing problem.English Heritagehad to be consulted as alterations could change the building's appearance.[16]
In 2004, CIS consultedSolarcenturywith a view to replacing the deteriorating mosaic with 575.5 kW of bluebuilding-integrated photovoltaic(PV) cells which would generate approximately 180,000 kWh (average of 20 kW) of electricity per year. The work was completed byArupand at that time was the largest commercial solar façade in Europe. The PV cells made bySharp Electronics[17]began feeding electricity to theNational Gridin November 2005.[18][19]
The project, which cost £5.5 million, was partly funded by theNorthwest Regional Development Agencywhich granted £885,000 and the Energy Savings Trust at theDepartment of Trade and Industry(DTI) contributed £175,000.[18]The solar power project was chosen by the DTI as one of the "10 best green energy projects" of 2005.[20]
Critical reception and listed status
editUpon its completion, the tower was praised by the architectural press and was awarded the bronze medal by theRoyal Institute of British Architectsin 1962.[2]In the 1990s, it was granted Grade IIlisted buildingstatus by English Heritage. The tower, described as "the best of the Manchester 1960s office blocks",[9]was listed for its "discipline and consistency".
See also
edit
References
editReferences
- ^"New Century House".Historic England.26 April 2013.Retrieved7 November2021.
- ^abcdefghiHistoric England,"Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) building, Miller Street, Manchester (Grade II) (1270494)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved23 August2013
- ^abBrook, Richard; Jarvis, Matthew."Trying to close the loop: post-war ring roads in Manchester".Birmingham City University.Retrieved7 November2021.
- ^abBounds, Andy (21 December 2017)."Co-op Group sells remaining Manchester property".Financial Times.Retrieved7 November2021.
- ^abcdCave, Duffy & Worthington (2016),p. 29.
- ^Kindred, Normandin & Macdonald (2007),p. 51.
- ^Part-3 Air Conditioned Office Buildings(PDF),Heritage Group Website for CIBSE, 31 October 2011, p. 12
- ^Frost, Richard (11 May 2017)."CIS Tower snapped up for more than £65m".Insider Media Limited.Retrieved8 November2021.
- ^abcThe Co-operative Wholesale Society and the Co-operative Insurance Society Buildings,Looking at Buildings, 31 October 2011
- ^abHistory of the solar tower,The Co-operative Bank, 31 October 2011, archived fromthe originalon 25 April 2012
- ^abCave, Duffy & Worthington (2016),pp. 29–30.
- ^"CIS and CWS Buildings".Mainstream Modern.Retrieved7 November2021.
- ^CIS Tower,Skyscraper News, 31 October 2011, archived fromthe originalon 16 April 2008,retrieved31 October2011
- ^Inflation Calculator,Bank of England,20 January 2021,retrieved8 November2021
- ^Green light for high living,The BBC, 31 October 2011
- ^CIS Tower, Manchester April 2003,The Twentieh Century Society, 21 April 2007, archived fromthe originalon 13 August 2011,retrieved31 October2011
- ^CIS Tower, Manchester,Sharp Manufacturing,retrieved31 October2011
- ^abSolar power tower hits city,Manchester evening News, 22 February 2003,retrieved24 October2011
- ^"CIS 'Solar Tower' Case Study",solarcentury,archived fromthe originalon 5 September 2007,retrieved11 September2007
- ^The Solar Tower,The Co-operative Group, 31 October 2011, archived fromthe originalon 14 September 2011
Bibliography
- Cave, Colin; Duffy, Francis; Worthington, John, eds. (2016).Planning Office Space.Elsevier Science.ISBN9781483103273.
- Kindred, Bob; Normandin, Kyle; Macdonald, Susan, eds. (2007).Conservation of Modern Architecture.Taylor & Francis.ISBN9781317704904.