Northern Kintsugi
We love the 60s, the decade that brought us an explosion of new culture and attitudes. It also gave us Hilton House, a building designed by renowned 1960s architect Richard Seifert. Its heyday housing Manchester Polytechnic’s Drama department has long passed and it has stood dormant, unloved and overlooked for years.
When developers CERT Property bought the building and asked us to get involved our conversation was about renovating and celebrating. To avoid modern white box syndrome and take pride in exposing the natural fabric of the building. In partnership with lead architects Buttress we progressed a vision to deliver something contemporary but underpinned by a philosophy inspired by the Japanese art of lovingly repairing broken pottery called Kintsugi.
"I firmly believe that when you work with people who share the same values amazing things happen. Sheila Bird have been instrumental in shaping our approach, they bring creative energy, infectious enthusiasm and an unwavering belief in the project."
Howard Lord
MD, CERT Property
True to the philosophy of celebrating the original fabric of the building, the floors and ceilings have been restored and exposed allowing the grain and texture to shine through. The spiral staircase takes centre stage once again and the 60s teal colour brought though into the reception as an accent.
Making Hilton House an active part of the neighbourhood has always been an important part of the vision and we are helping to grow its community. OpenHouse will display a rotating exhibition of artworks on the Ground Floor and a new wellbeing-focussed coffee house run by The FeelGood Club will curate events and offer break out spaces for the local community to use. Watch below to see how our story with Feel Good Club has unfolded.
