Beetham Hilton Tower has become an iconic symbol for Manchester. Signalling the on-going regeneration of the Castlefield area and expansion of the city's urban core, it was the tallest structure in Manchester from completion in 2006 until 2018. At 169m tall, it stands amongst the highest mixed-use towers in Europe.
The tower is orientated on the major urban axes of Deansgate and Liverpool Road that link its site visually to the city-centre and beyond the city to the West. The silhouette of the crystalline elegance of the tower is completed by a slender glazed ‘blade’ that stretches skywards.
The Tower accommodates 279 hotel guest bedrooms with 219 apartments above, the transition between the two is expressed by a 4m cantilever at level 23. The remainder of the hotel including a ballroom and business centre and a separate commercial building are located at low-level. These components are arranged to create a new public space on the street corner that benefits from the activity of glazed frontages to the foyers, bar and restaurant.
The envelope comprises a glazed skin that hints at the different aspects of the façade without disrupting the simplicity of the building form. The composition of transparent and solid elements emphasises the tower’s verticality and defines a grand scale that transcends that of an individual apartment or guest bedroom. A further level of refinement is provided by contrasting reflections and shadows from vertical opening louvres, perforated metal panels and solar shading fins.