Manchester's Co-Op Quarter

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 22 Aug 2013

A view from the car park of the Manchester Arena, over Scotland Bridge, towards Miller Street and the "Co-Op Quarter". The Co-operative Group has its headquarters in an eight-building complex on the north side of Manchester city centre near to Victoria station. The complex includes three tower blocks; New Century House, nearest the camera at the junction of Corporation Street and Miller Street, and Image], further up Miller Street. The third tower, Image] which was completed in 2012, is to the left of Miller Street, partly hidden by Parker's Hotel. Both New Century House and the CIS Tower, are Grade II listed buildings. The tower was designed as a prestige headquarters to showcase the Co-operative movement in Manchester. Construction began in 1959 and the tower was completed in 1962 becoming the first building in Manchester taller than the Town Hall Tower. At 387 feet (118 m) in height, the CIS Tower overtook the Shell Centre as the tallest building in the United Kingdom, a title it retained for a year until it was replaced by the Millbank Tower in London. In 2006 the Beetham Tower became the tallest building in Manchester. New Century House, also completed in 1962, is considerably shorter at only (!) 50 metres in height. http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1255052 English Heritage listing for New Century House http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1270494 English Heritage Listing for CIS Tower

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