The scheme’s massing responds to the topography of the Irk Valley by stepping down in scale from 24 storeys to the south to 6 storey on the north as the site approaches the River Irk. Private landscaped courtyards are glimpsed through gaps and openings in the buildings. A new landscaped pocket park is proposed on Hill Street with trees and planting.
The 24 storey block aligns with the route under the railway bridge, helping define the pedestrian linkage from Ancoats and Angel Meadows across to the Irk Valley. This is reinforced by the high quality public and private landscaped zones along the pedestrian connection. The building’s form and apartments are designed to limit views over the railway line.
The lower blocks are designed to maximise solar gains into the landscaped zones while providing views into the scheme and across the Irk Valley. The 6 storey block that redefines the Dantzic Street edge along the site. Commercial units and residential entrance directly off the street frontage provide natural surveillance. A retail block complements that currently operating on Sava House defining the street and contributing towards the city’s proposed leisure and entertainment quarter the site sits within.