Town: Campfield
Campfield Building in Manchester Undergoes Innovative Adaptive Reuse
The historic Campfield building in Manchester is being transformed into a modern, functional workspace, balancing the preservation of its Grade II-listed heritage with flexible, non-invasive transformation. This adaptive reuse strategy, undertaken by Project 3, aims to create a hub for technology and creativity, blending the grandeur of the original structure with the flexibility required for future adaptability.
Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future
The external historic fabric and façade remain unchanged due to listed building constraints. Modern systems like ventilation are concealed within the window soffits behind internal cladding and listed railings, protecting the visual integrity of the heritage façade.
Natural Light and Interior Flexibility
The scheme prioritises natural daylight for open-plan areas, while the ground-floor offices receive less light due to historic restrictions. Internally, the fit-out emphasises impermanence layered over the enduring historic structure, enabling flexible spatial arrangements that can accommodate up to 600 people and facilitate evolving use cases.
Innovative Solutions
A concealed high-level louvered ventilation system is installed internally but ventilates externally behind aluminium cladding, preserving the façade visually while achieving modern comfort. This approach treats heritage as a dynamic framework rather than an obstacle, enabling responsive interventions that allow easy future changes and social activation of once-silent halls into active creative spaces.
Green Spaces and Social Interaction
Green Street, running through the centre of the scheme, provides a 'garden' space for spontaneous encounters and fosters gathering, community, and collaboration. The larger office spaces on the ground floor are clad in reused timber from the building's original mezzanine.
Technical and Social Transformation
The renovation project, funded in part by Manchester City Council's £17.2m from the Levelling Up Fund, aims to retain the grandeur of the original structure while allowing for flexibility and reprogramming over time. The project is technically rigorous and socially generous, transforming ad-hoc meetings and fleeting social encounters into new cultural rituals in once silent halls - moments that aim to deepen local pride and keep the historic fabric alive for a collective convergence of creativity.
A Brief History of Campfield
Originally designed as an open-sided market hall in 1876 by Magnall & Littlewoods, the building has experienced multiple changes to its structure and use over the years, including being a wartime balloon factory. The renovated Campfield will be a hub for technology and creativity, with a mix of start-up offices, workspaces, a publicly-accessible restaurant, and bar. The double-height multi-use space at the centre of the plan accommodates informal working or large-scale events. The publicly-accessible areas of the renovated Campfield, such as the restaurant and bar, are celebrated for their height and abundance of natural daylight.
The building stood empty from 2012 until 2021, following the permanent closure of the Museum of Air and Space. The renovation project was delivered in two key phases, with the first focusing on the roof and the second on the internal space. The mezzanine structure is free-standing and does not connect to the external fabric in any way, minimising impact on the listed building.
In summary, Campfield employs an innovative, respectful adaptive reuse strategy that merges restoration with flexibility, overcoming listed building challenges by embedding modern systems invisibly and maintaining the historic façade as a living framework for future architectural and social use.
The adaptive reuse strategy of the Campfield building in Manchester, while preserving its historical value, also integrates modern systems like ventilation and technology to foster a hub for creativity and innovation.The focus on natural daylight and flexible spatial arrangements allows the renovated Campfield to accommodate up to 600 people, making it a suitable space for diverse workstyles and emerging future use cases.*The public areas, such as the restaurant and bar, within the Campfield building reflect an amalgamation of history and lifestyle, offering a unique blend of green spaces, social interaction, and a touch of home-and-garden charm.
