Balloon Street
Manchester
When the Co-operative Bank needed to reimagine their historic headquarters on Balloon Street, they required a contractor who could handle complex infrastructure challenges while honouring the building’s remarkable heritage. This wasn’t just another office refurbishment – it was the transformation of Manchester’s banking legacy into a modern multi-let workspace.
Location
Manchester
Client
Wittington
Size
26,000
Duration
6 months
CubicWorks worked with the design team on a PCSA basis to deliver a comprehensive transformation spanning 26,000 sq ft across three floors. We refurbished the spaces being returned by the downsizing tenant, completed new common area refurbishments, and created an award-winning reception scheme that celebrates both James Sadler’s pioneering balloon factory heritage and the building’s distinguished banking history.
The result provides over 450 workstations and transformed a single occupier building into a thriving multi-let property offering communal workspaces.
This project presented exactly the kind of complex technical challenge that others avoid.
The building had no existing split between landlord and tenant infrastructure – everything was integrated as a single occupier headquarters. We had to engineer completely new internal service distributions to enable split tenancy recharging whilst causing zero disruption to the bank’s call centre, which remained fully operational throughout the works. One wrong move could have taken down critical banking operations, but that’s precisely why the Co-operative Bank needed our 40+ years of collective problem-solving experience.
The CubicWorks Difference
While many contractors would have walked away from the infrastructure complexity, we engineered innovative solutions that others couldn’t match.
Our in-house trades worked together daily to carefully separate and reroute services without any impact to live banking operations. We understood that this wasn’t just about creating new workspaces – it was about respecting both the building’s operational requirements and its place in Manchester’s history. Our partnership approach meant taking responsibility others won’t accept, delivering what seemed impossible while the building’s heritage watched.
The transformation achieved exactly what was needed – a seamless transition from single to multi-let occupancy with zero operational disruption. The project earned recognition as a Mixology North22 Project of the Year Finalist, with the award-winning reception scheme now celebrating the rich heritage of both Sadler’s balloon innovations and the Co-operative Bank’s legacy. Located just minutes from Manchester Victoria Station in one of the city’s most prestigious business districts, 1 Balloon Street now provides flexible workspace for Manchester’s growing tech, finance and creative sectors. The building continues to thrive as a landmark in the heart of Manchester’s business community.
Genuine care about buildings that shaped our city
When you don’t just build standard, you deliver what others can’t. At 1 Balloon Street, we proved that even the most complex infrastructure challenges can be solved with the right expertise and genuine care about the outcome.
This is what 40+ years of collective experience looks like in practice – engineering solutions for you and your building while respecting the history that makes Manchester special.
CubicWorks
