Bank House & Bank Chambers - Charlotte
Street, Manchester, UK
Architect
|
Fitzroy Robinson &
Partners |
Date Built
|
1971 |
Location
|
Portland Street
& Charlotte Street
|
Description
|
| This modern block was built in 1971 to a
design by the architects Fitzroy Robinson &
Partners. It was built as the northern
headquarters of the Bank of England, replacing
Charles Cockerell's building on King Street.
The Bank has moved out of the building and in 2011
it is part of the Bruntwood fleet of offices in
Central Manchester. The building is now
regarded a two entities. At the Charlotte
Street end you will find the 12 storey tower block
known as Bank House. |
The tower sits beside
Bank Chambers, of which Bruntwood says this, "Bank
Chambers was home to the Bank of England until
Bruntwood acquired the building. The outer wall is 16
inches thick and was built to withstand bomb attacks,
making it one of the safest buildings in Manchester.
There’s even a small gap between the inner and outer
walls, which is rumoured to have been patrolled by
guard dogs. Every Tuesday the surrounding roads were
closed off to allow the delivery of the prestigious
Gold bullion. The bank, in its heyday, saw hundreds of
millions of pounds pass through its vaults every week.
The car parking for Bank Chambers is also a little
more secure than most, being located inside the old
bank vault!"
|
