Atul Bansal, co-founder of interior design firm Sheila Bird Group, and Andrew Timms, director of Edwards & Co, have today unveiled Tomorrow, a “highly confidential” brief on behalf of an unnamed, collaboration of global companies, which until now, has simply been known as “Project Digital”.
The pair has agreed 10 year leases of between 5,000 sq ft and 10,000 sq ft on 20 buildings across the city. According to an announcement today, each site will host “ground-breaking” technology that will enable local firms to explore and access business solutions, knowledge and data in an “intuitive and interactive format” that is completely “innovative and unprecedented”.
Technology will be linked across all 20 buildings to “facilitate collaborative problem solving”, and commercial innovation.
The 20 buildings with agreed terms are both in and out-of-town. They include:
* The Hive, 47 Lever Street, The Northern Quarter
* 1 New York Street
* Chancery Place
* Orange, MediaCityUK
* Number One First Street
* The Peninsula Manchester
* Riverside, New Bailey Street
* 304, Bridgewater Place
* Towers, Manchester
* Booths Park, Knutsford
* Citilab
* 196 Deansgate
* Manchester Science Park
Bansal has been working for the global client for the last two and a half years, acting as its UK client and design director.
Atul Bansal said: “This is an unbelievably exciting prospect for Manchester, as the first city to have access to this revolutionary technology and the potential is has to transform local businesses and the way they work, individually and together.
“As design director my team and I have had the opportunity to explore new ideas, pushing the boundaries to create a revolutionary concept. All of the spaces will differ both in style and design intent; none of the spaces will have a corporate style.
“There is nothing like this anywhere else in the world. The walls will be ‘alive’ and ‘Tomorrow’ will drive a new approach to work interactions and conversations.”
Andrew Timms, director at Edwards & Co. commented: “We have approached location-mapping the Tomorrow acquisitions the same way you would a coffee franchise. Each of the buildings has been carefully selected in areas where there is a strong, critical mass of occupiers and businesses. Having one of the offerings only a short walk from the workplace will maximise accessibility and localism, enabling far more companies to benefit from this technology.
“We have had to work off market and ask for a lot of trust from landlords and office agents in lining up the deals, as we are unable to disclose who the tenant is as yet, with only the reassurance that the covenant is of the highest standard.
“It is fantastic to see something as unique as this come to Manchester first and for us to play such a significant part of the delivery team.”
Andrew Timms director at Edwards & Co. was appointed to acquire and advise on the Manchester portfolio, as well as the future roll out of Tomorrow in London. Richard Parkinson at turner parkinson solicitors was selected to advise the firm on all legal aspects, with Ben Davies and the team at The Neighbourhood launching and communicating the concept. Neil Cuckson partner at EC Harris, was also appointed to provide both Cost & Commercial Management and CDMC Services on the fit out of the portfolio.
