Upland Quarter at Cotton Quay
Salford | Royalton Group & Frogmore | Submitted for Planning
Placemaking
Situated on what was once the largest infrastructure project ever built in England Studio Partington will be delivering the Upland Quarter at Cotton Quay, a vibrant new neighbourhood with potential to transform this area of central Salford. At the heart of the project is an exercise in placemaking to turn the existing disused site into a thriving community consisting of 1,500 new homes across the site, two hotels, bars and restaurants. The Upland Quarter is to be delivered as Phase 1 of the masterplan, and will create a gateway linking Salford to the rest of the Quay. Within the Upland Quarter will be a new 228-bedroom hotel, and 189 much-needed homes, in a sustainable and accessible location.
Design
Upland Quarter is a celebration of Manchester’s rich architectural history, creating a contemporary homage to the warehouse and industrial history of Manchester. Utilising a complementary palette of materials and proportions to create a ‘family of buildings’ within Uplands Quarter, and with the rest of the quay.
Cotton Quay Film by Factory Fifteen
Sustainability
Setting a precedence for development in Salford, Upland Quarter has set a high benchmark for sustainability in line with the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework Plan, with a detailed strategy to achieve net zero carbon emissions. As part of the emphasis on placemaking, and given the context of the site, there is ample access to outdoor spaces such as open-air baths, promenades and water gardens. The wider site energy strategy will incorporate the use of heat pumps, with an anticipated use of an ambient loop. The alignment and stepping of buildings maximises the exposure to southern daylight reaching into the site, especially within the public realm, and provides guests and residents waterfront views on all sides.
Collaboration
Cotton Quay is the culmination of a successful collaborative process within the design team, including Studio Egret West and Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher. The project has been an exercise in refining our work process to enable collaborative exchanges of information, which in turn has benefitted the design and efficiency of the project.
