This building on the corner of Swan Street and Tib Street was designed by Johnathan Davidson of Q2 Architecture for Workshop Properties.  On their website Workshop Properties describe the building as, " ... a development of 14 three-storey, self contained office and retail units situated in Manchester's Northern Quarter prominently positioned fronting Swan Street."

An article on the "northernquartermanchester.com" website in September of 2012 adds that, "Each unit has its own shop front, allowing occupants to have a retail window for their business if they wish, with their offices above.  ... the units are fitted out to the highest standards including natural stone flooring on the ground floor and timber on the upper floors, with fully glazed front and rear aspects to maximize natural light. All the units sit around a new courtyard space which we’ve kitted out with tables and seating for alfresco working as well as lounging!"

In the 1840s the land on which the building sits was occupied by a block of multiple units (indicated by the red arrow) with the Wheat Sheaf Public House on the Tip Street side.  Next door was a Manchester Union Industrial Workshop.  Not far away, just out of the range of this map segment, was the Smithfield Market.

A map dated 1888 shows details of the buildings within the block.  There is no mention of the public house so perhaps the buildings of the 1840s were either altered or replaced.  As you can see, the block is now made up of numerous shops, a restaurant and warehouses, probably connected to the nearby market.



The aerial image below shows the location in 1953.  Although the image is indistinct it appears that the building no longer occupies the full block.  It appears that there is an open space at the Tib Street end where the Wheat Sheaf Pub once stood.