One Piccadilly Gardens
Manchester
Location
Manchester
Status
Completed 2021
Sector
Commercial
Client
Legal & General
We were appointed to redesign the CAT A space for One Piccadilly Gardens. Our remit included the reception, a previously unused atrium, green travel facilities and circulation space.
We set out to create a community culture around One Piccadilly, by creating a space for people to sit, relax, meet and collaborate. The existing reception and atrium only served as places to wait or pass through, with no other use or incentive to stay.
We looked at the origins of the word Piccadilly, which comes from a seventeenth-century frilled curved collar known as a piccadill. The origin of the word is thought to be the Spanish ‘picadillo’, meaning pierced or punctured. Subtle references to this in the form of curves and punctures, especially using light, also formed part of our design language. We were also inspired by the terracotta colour of clay and the outer red building façade when creating the design palette.
In the design we offered a tailored approach, creating moments for pause and reflection, as well as places for catching up or ad hoc encounters, catering to a wide demographic of user.
The interior palette is warm, inviting and relaxing, with an abundance of planting to further push this. The inclusion of a garden pavilion within the atrium provides a space to meet, relax that enhances the offering of the space.
