Bruntwood, one of the UK’s leading commercial property companies, has received planning approval for a revolutionary workspace and leisure destination, ‘The Alberton’, in Manchester city centre. The approval marks the evolution of the firm’s Pioneer offering, with the building’s ‘workplace revolutionised’ ethos embedding holistic wellbeing into daily working lives.

The current Alberton House on St. Mary’s Parsonage will be replaced with a striking 18-storey office building, housing the UK’s highest workspace pool and capable of competing on the world stage. The Alberton’s people-centric approach represents Bruntwood’s aims to attract new businesses and talent to Manchester, encouraging further inward investment by elevating the city’s workspace offering.

The development will prompt considerable job creation across building management, hospitality provision and customer expansion, estimated to support 1,740 full time employees and an annual GVA contribution of £131 million.

Designed by EPR Architects and occupying the historic site of Manchester’s first gas works, The Alberton represents the city’s industrial past in a contemporary aesthetic, with nods to its industrial heritage throughout the building’s architecture. It is set to complete towards the end of 2025, with works due to begin early next year. 

The Alberton is a key location within Manchester City Council’s St. Mary’s Parsonage Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF), which also includes the redevelopment of the grade-II listed Kendal Milne building and Bruntwood’s Blackfriars House and King’s House, the latter of which is currently undergoing its own redevelopment. The Alberton’s focal point is its rooftop holistic wellness centre, the first of its kind in the UK office market. As well as the performance lap pool, it will also feature a hydrotherapy vitality pool, hot and cold treatment rooms, physio room, changing and shower facilities. The wellness centre has been designed with sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity in mind, ensuring that it is a welcoming space for all.