Commerce and homes in the same building. One Silk Street by Mecanoo
08/09/2023.
[Manchester] UK
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
Description of project by Mecanoo
One Silk Street sits in the heart of the Ancoats area in Manchester, a significant historical landmark associated with the Industrial Revolution. It contains the highest concentration of Grade II and II* Listed mill buildings in Manchester. As part of the city's expansion plan, aimed at enhancing the quality of life and driving change in its boundaries, particularly in the Ancoats area, Mecanoo designed a new mixed-use project called One Silk Street. This innovative development encompasses a variety of housing options and commercial facilities, tailored to meet the evolving needs of contemporary residents and users.
Strong volume
The clear and strong volume comprising of 10 storeys including a basement, reaches a height of 34 meters. The building fully occupies the site, extending to the perimeter, and its corners are designed to be prominent, aligning with the historical grid pattern of the surrounding area. The height of the Silk Road building has carefully been determined to harmonise with the existing streetscape, which features a diverse combination of heights and volumes. A set back on the ground floor not only enhances the visual appeal of the streetscape, but it also contributes to dividing the overall structure into three distinct sections: the plinth, the body, and the crown. The plinth is designed to activate the street, incorporating entrances and terraces for the commercial spaces on the ground floor. A double-height lobby serves as a focal point for both the commercial and residential entrances, effectively dividing the entire building length while simultaneously enriching the liveliness of the street. The single storey crown on top has been set back from the building perimeter to allow for terraces on this level.
One Silk Street by Mecanoo. Photography by Greg Holmes.
Adaptability and flexibility
The development brings together top-tier 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and trendy workspace and co-working spaces. Recognising the importance of adaptability and flexibility resulted in a layout and façade design that were meticulously crafted to accommodate different functions within the building. The grid system was specifically designed to cater for the diverse requirements of both office and residential spaces.
Materiality
The Silk Road development has given careful consideration to the character and materiality of the area while respecting its historical significance. The design reflects Ancoats' distinctive identity, embracing the traditional use of red brick, gracefully proportioned facades, and a consistent composition of windows that emerged from a functional design and construction approach. To enhance the visual appeal, the façades have been softened by using handmade bricks, stone accents, relief elements, and varying depths. All of which age gracefully over time. The material palette of the setback on the ninth-floor changes to enhance its overall harmony.
Francine Houben (Holland 1955) began formulating the three fundamentals of her lifelong architectural vision while studying at the Delft University of Technology. It was in this crucible of higher learning that she began an architectural practice with two fellow students with the design of a groundbreaking social housing development. As a result, she graduated as architect with cum laude honours in 1984 and officially founded Mecanoo architecten with these same partners.
Francine has remained true to her architectural vision, Composition, Contrast, Complexity throughout her career. Always looking for inspiration and the secret of a specific location, Francine bases her work on both analyses and intuition. She enjoys interweaving social, technical, playful and humane aspects together in order to form a unique solution to each situation. Francine Houben combines the disciplines of architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture in an untraditional way; with sensitivity for light and beauty.
Her use of material is expressive. She is known as one of the most prolific architects in Europe today. Her wide-ranging portfolio comprises an intimate chapel built on the foundations of a former 19th century chapel in Rotterdam (2001) to Europe’s largest library in Birmingham (2013). Francine Houben’s work reveals a sensory aspect determined by form and space, a lavish use or subtle combinations of the most diverse materials, as well as planes of saturated colour. Francine’s contribution to the profession of architecture is widely recognized. She was granted lifelong membership to the Akademie der Künste, Berlin in 2010.
In 2008, she received the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Award. Honorary fellowships to the American Institute of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and an international fellowship to the Royal Institute of British Architects were granted to her in previous years. The past three decades have seen her cumulative effect on the profession of architecture. Francine lectures all over the world and takes part as a jury member in prestigious competitions.
Her commitment to research and education is evidenced in her instatement as professor in Architecture, Chair of Aesthetics of Mobility at the Delft University of Technology (2000), her professorship at the Universitá della Svizzera Italiania, Accademia di architettura, Switzerland (2000) and her appointment as visiting professor at Harvard (2007). Dedication to her alma mater is reflected in generous sponsorship of the UfD-Mecanoo Award for the best graduating student of the Delft University of Technology.
Francine Houben lives in Rotterdam, a modern city where the skyline is dotted with buildings designed by world renowned architects; including her award winning Montevideo Skyscraper (2005). It was in this dynamic city that she directed and curated the First International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (2003), with the theme, ‘Mobility, a room with a view’. She has realised numerous signature projects throughout the Netherlands and Europe including Philips Business Innovation Centre, FiftyTwoDegrees in Nijmegen, (2005-2006), La Llotja Theatre and Conference Centre in Lleida, Spain (2009) and the Delft University of Technology Library (1999). Currently, she is expanding her architectural vision to other continents with the design of Taiwan’s largest theatre complex, The Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Arts in Kaohsiung (2014), Dudley Municipal Center in Boston (USA) and Shenzhen Cultural Center (China). In 2011 the book Dutch Mountains was released, a chronicle of Francine Houben and eight special projects in five different countries.
Francine maintains an active presence in academia and culture, regularly publishing and giving lectures worldwide. She has performed in many academic and professional capacities throughout her career, including Chair of Architecture and Aesthetics of Mobility at Delft University of Technology, visiting professor at Harvard Graduate School of Design, and as director of the First International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam.
Francine has received honorary fellowships from the Royal Institute of British Architects, the American Institute of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. In 2014 Francine was named Woman Architect of the Year by the Architects’ Journal and in November 2015 Queen Máxima of The Netherlands presented Francine with the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Prize for her wide-ranging career. Francine was awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Université de Mons, Belgium (2017) and the Utrecht University (2016).
“Architecture must appeal to all the senses. Architecture is never a purely intellectual, conceptual, or visual game alone. Architecture is about combining all the individual elements into a single concept. What counts in the end is the arrangement of form and emotion.”
Francine Houben, architect/creative director Mecanoo Architecten.