THE SPACE Youth Intervention Centre, the clever building half hidden behind a sort of secret door in Ancoats took top honours at last week’s Chamber of Commerce Property Awards.
We are keen to raise the profile of the charity and are happy to welcome Confidential readers to look more closely at the building, to come inside and learn more about the work we do.
Which caused quite a stir in the room as it was up against big, high profile contenders like Chethams new school of music and the Co-op HQ.
But Confidential had already alerted readers to its brilliance back in February - click here.
The team behind it, both the 42nd Street Charity that operates from it and the designer and architects who made it happen were understandably chuffed.
42nd Street
I want to have a closer look, go and see how the space works inside and walk through a wardrobe into a room, and it occurred that maybe Confidential readers would like to look as well.
Vera Martins, the charity’s director, is happy to accommodate and the architects, Bolton based Bradshaw Gass & Hope are willing to be on hand to talk through the detail of the building. The brilliant Maurice Shapiro, the man responsible for the original design concept, may even be tempted to come along too.
When you have something this wonderful in your city you really should make an effort to get to know it better if you can.
Phil Cusack, from the Chamber described it as: “An excellent example of construction and design teams coming together with the client to produce an innovative design that has been imaginatively delivered. Numerous issues were overcome including incorporating a listed building into the design and dealing with the loss of a substantial amount of funding at a late stage in the process. Overall, it is a worthy winner which serves an often neglected part of our community."
It cost £720,000, some of which did come from the public purse, with the site via the old NWDA, but mortgage funding too from Futurebuilders and Yorkshire Bank and it took some inventive thinking from people like Peter Buglass from Custard Pie Properties and Liz Brooks Allen from The Connectives to make it happen.
Vera said: “I feel the award is recognition for the team effort as well as the finished building of which we are very proud. We are keen to raise the profile of the charity and are happy to welcome Confidential readers to look more closely at the building, to come inside and learn more about the work we do.”
If you want to have a tour inside Manchester’s very own Narnia send an e-mail to this dedicated Property Confidential address property@theconfidentials.co.uk and we will be back in touch by October 31. Depending on demand it is hoped to run a couple of tours, one in the evening and one at weekend. And as it’s a charity I think it only polite to ask for a minimum donation of £5.
All the photos on this page are from Beccy Lane.
You can follow Jill Burdett on Twitter here.
42nd Street - gates.
