Business School wins Building of the Year

Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester has been named Building of the Year by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC). The award was announced at an event on 3 October and it beat four other landmark buildings to take the top prize which recognises a building’s significant contribution to the local economy and community, regeneration as well as design excellence.

Chairman of the GMCC Phil Cusack said “The judges felt unanimously that with this building, Manchester was making a statement about its dedication to education. The school is now positioned as the leading of its type in Europe, and possibly the world. The original building was out of touch with the 21st century but the redevelopment has firmly placed it to rub shoulders with the best institutions around the globe.”

The scheme completed in late 2018 and is now the largest campus-based business school in the UK. Our design remodels two conjoined buildings from the 1970s, reconnecting it with the city and providing the university with facilities to match its international reputation.

BDP has won the same award previously in 2017 with Oldham Town Hall. Last year the Ordsall Chord railway link was highly commended for the same award.

Architect Director Gary Wilde and Janine Ellis head of operations at AMBS explain more about the scheme in this short video: