Quirky, bold and robust; ‘Chips’ forms the first major development for the Alsop-designed masterplan for New Islington in Manchester. New Islington is an extraordinary stretch of land situated between the Ashton and Rochdale canals in the industrial suburb of Ancoats. Launched in 2002, Alsop’s Strategic Framework for New Islington, lays out an exceptional place, modeled around new canal arms and an inspiring landscape.
Commissioned by Urban Splash, the first new apartments for sale in New Islington have been designed by Will Alsop. 142 one, two and three bedroom apartments distributed throughout a layered and faceted building known as ‘Chips’.
The ‘Chips’ building comprises three equal-height, long, thin new build masses (Chips) approximately 100m long by 14m wide stacked and staggered upon one another creating an elevated ground floor and eight levels of apartments.
The building is clad in a composite wall faced with a cladding covered in newspaper print with text that echoes the industrial heritage of the Ancoats area. The design provides a mix of living and studio units and a 420 sq m destination restaurant within a single project. The project defines a quality of living by combining outstanding design with technological innovation while embracing key concepts of sustainability, integration into the urban landscape and the provision of inspirational and sensational apartment units.
The building’s apartment types range from studio spaces to three bed apartments. There is also a variety of differing external balconies. The apartments are planned internally around a central ‘pod’ unit, housing the bathroom and kitchen areas. The apartments can be open plan or sub-divided by the use of large folding screens.
Professional Credits,
Architects: ALSOP Architects.
Lead Architect: Alsop Architects.
Client / Developer: Nick Johnson, Urban Splash, United Kingdom.
Collaborators team: Landscape Architect: Keith French, Grant Associates. Structural Engineer: Julian Broster, Martin Stockley Associates.
Dates: Commission, 2002 and Completion, 2009.
Budget: £19 million.
Awards:
2010 RIBA Regional Award (North West).
2010 Institution of Structural Engineers International Awards, Community or Residential Structures, Commendation.
2010 Concrete Society Awards, Building Category, Commendation.
