Five Greater Manchester projects have been nominated for the architectural prize

An £85 million rail link and a charity headquarters are amongst the Greater Manchester buildings shortlisted for this year's RIBA North West Awards.

The BDP-designed Ordsall Chord (pictured above), which opened in December 2017 and connects Manchester's three main railway stations, has been nominated alongside OMI Architect's Mustard Tree headquarters in Ancoats; SimpsonHaugh's Two St Peter’s Square office building; Roof Gardens townhouses and apartments in Castlefield by Ollier Smurthwaite Architects, and shedkm's Irwell Riverside neighbourhood in Salford.

The North West region continues to play host to a remarkable array of delightful, carefully-crafted buildings

The five Greater Manchester projects will contest six other regional buildings for the architecture prize, with the winners announced at Manchester School of Art on Wednesday 8 May and entered for the esteemed RIBA National Award, announced in June.

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OMI Architect's Mustard Tree headquarters in Ancoats OMI
Two St Peters Square Simpson Haugh
Two St Peter's Square SimpsonHaugh

Tom Mills, RIBA's North West director, said: “The North West region continues to play host to a remarkable array of delightful, carefully-crafted buildings. I congratulate all practices who have been shortlisted in this competitive process. The longlist for the 2019 North West Awards was of exceptional high calibre, with entries received from a range of national and international practices."

Other buildings shortlisted for the North West prize include the refurbishment of Preston Bus Station (John Puttick Associates with Cassidy + Ashton), Alder Hey Hospital – Institute in the Park (Hopkins Architects) and The Lookout Pettypool in Cheshire (Walker Simpson Architects Ltd). Full shortlist below.

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shedkm's Irwell Riverside neighbourhood in Salford UrbanSplash
Roof Gardens Castlefield
Roof Gardens in Castlefield Ollier Smurthwaite Architects

RIBA NORTH WEST SHORTLIST:

- A Restorative Rural Retreat for Sartfell, Isle of Man by Foster Lomas

- Alder Hey Hospital – Institute in the Park, Liverpool by Hopkins Architects

- Farnworth House, Widnes by Smith Young Architects

- Irwell Riverside, Salford by shedkm

- Market Hall, Isle of Man by horncastle:thomas with Brinkworth Design

- Mustard Tree, Ancoats, Manchester by OMI Architects

- Ordsall Chord, Manchester by BDP

- Preston Bus Station refurbishment, Preston by John Puttick Associates with Cassidy + Ashton

- Roof Gardens, Manchester by Ollier Smurthwaite Architects

- The Lookout, Pettypool, Cheshire by Walker Simpson Architects Ltd

- Two St Peter’s Square, Manchester by SimpsonHaugh