Two St Peter's Square

Two St Peter's Square occupies the site of the former Century House and its neighbour. Designed by the architectural practice of SimpsonHaugh, this new building is part of the complete refurbishment of the square and the buildings around it. the architect's website says of it that, ".... we sought to lock Two St Peter's Square in place, embedding it in its surroundings. Form and massing, materiality and articulation were all carefully considered and refined to reflect the quality and character of the building's historic setting within a contemporary and high-performing BREEAM Excellent and EPC A-rated design. Open and flexible floorplates offer tenants maximum net useable space and benefit from excellent natural daylighting, solar shading and views out to the magnificent buildings nearby. The eye-catching tracery screen cantilevered above its main entrance has become a popular landmark and a marker for the square while the floor-to-ceiling tracery panels bring the character of the building and its historic context into the office floors."

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One of the buildings demolished to make way for Two Peter's Square was Century House.

Century House was built in 1934 for the Friend's Provident Society. In his book "Manchester - An Architectural History", John Parkinson-Bailey says of the building that "Following the completion of the library in 1934, it was intended to extend St. Peter's Square to Albert Square to create a new Civic Centre, but the site on the corner of Mosley Street and Dickinson Street (for Century House) had already been sold to the Friend's Provident Century Life Office and the decision to purchase the site compulsorily, for £46,000 was rejected by one vote."