If you want a chauffeur-driven sightseeing tour of Manchester, there are many different things to see in various areas. But for architecture, the city centre has easily the greatest number of interesting buildings.
While some may be fascinated by medieval structures like the cathedral or Cheetham’s School of Music, those with an interest in modern structures may be particularly struck by the large number of skyscrapers.
It certainly wasn’t always this way. Although the 387 ft CIS Tower was the tallest office building in Western Europe when it was finished in 1962, it remained the highest structure in the city until the 21st century, one of just two over 100 metres tall.
However, Manchester’s relatively low-rise skyline has been transformed in recent years, earning it the nickname ‘Manchattan’.
This began with the 554 ft Beetham Tower, which became the tallest in the city in 2005. Not only does it have a striking design as one of the thinnest skyscrapers around, but you can visit it, either as a guest in the Hilton Hotel or by enjoying a drink and meal with a view from the Cloud 23 bar, which is 23 floors up and features glass portholes in the floor.
A plethora of new skyscrapers have followed across the city centre and over the Irwell in the Greengate area of Salford. The greatest cluster is on the western edge of the city centre at Deansgate Square, where the Beetham Tower’s short-lived status as Manchester’s tallest was indeed in 2018 when the 659 ft Tower A topped out.
Tower A may hold the record for even less time, as plans are afoot for a 71-storey, 699 ft skyscraper nearby, dubbed the Lighthouse, with a restaurant on the top floor.
If you can find an elevated position in one of Manchester’s tall buildings, you can see some fine views across the city and the Pennine Hills, including the Peak District National Park.
With more skyscrapers under construction, Manchester is making a powerful visual statement of its growth as a modern city, showing anyone who thought it a post-industrial backwater that it is actually a vibrant, popular place teeming with energy and life.