Connecting Middlewood Locks to the city; a landmark gateway to the neighbourhood
Client Scarborough Group International
Project Role Design
Scale 909 homes
Status Planning approved
Phase 4 sits at the north east edge of Middlewood Locks in Salford, framed by historic railway arches and key views from Trinity Way. Formerly a Network Rail compound, the cleared brownfield site presented both constraint and opportunity.
Its position in closer proximity to Manchester city centre offered something more ambitious: the chance to create a new gateway to Middlewood Locks and the city beyond. The brief required a scheme that could hold and define a meaningful civic square, respond to railway infrastructure, and contribute positively to both the Salford and Manchester skylines
Tall buildings were already anticipated within the outline consent, creating the opportunity for a landmark of the highest architectural quality that could act as a signpost for Middlewood Locks.
Focusing on the spaces inbetween
A network of public spaces where canal, square and City meet
The approach to Phase 4 started from the ground up with the intention to create a series of character spaces that create a sense of arrival to the neighbourhood, respond to the sites railway infrastructure and maximise the relationship with the canal. The civic square activated by ground floor uses juxtaposed by the softer canal side park where people can relax, dwell and play. The nook and railway walk provide further variety of space framed by the railway arches to create more intimate spaces that can be happened upon more organically.
The arrangement of built form was meticulously tested to ensure the buildings enhanced the experience on both a micro and macro level. Taller elements being located to be impactful from distance whilst having presence within key spaces at the base of the buildings.
A series of character spaces
Defining the architectural language of Plot E
Plot E; A landmark shaped by history and neighbourhood
Our main challenge in approaching Plot E has been in establishing an approach that balances a response to the more human scale nature of previous phases of the neighbourhood with forming a striking city scale landmark.
The design responds to key views whilst presenting an approach that deals with both the micro and the macro. The upper levels adopt a larger, more expressive aperture, forming a beacon-like crown that reinforces the building’s presence on the Salford and Manchester skyline. At lower levels, the architecture becomes more tactile and human in scale. A layered brick façade introduces depth, modelling and texture at the base, ensuring the building feels robust and connected to the material character of Middlewood Locks.
Material selection responds directly to context. Brick tones reference the surrounding industrial heritage and railway infrastructure, while anthracite framing and corten-effect detailing introduce contrast and contemporary precision. The approach prioritises craft, proportion and rhythm, allowing the building to achieve distinction through composition rather than flamboyant architectural gestures.
Plot E; Signposting Middlewood Locks
Plot E; Experimenting with material and texture
Grounding in Signal Square
Smaller scale containing The Nook
Expressing vertical hierarchy
Directional verticality in Signal Square
A pair of contrasting towers
Podium threshold interacting with The Nook
Plot N; A contemporary response to the sites industrial past
Plot N is designed as a layered composition of interlocking forms that work hard to hold the civic square, frame the canal, and respond directly to the industrial language of Middlewood Locks.
Rather than a singular vertical expression, Plot N is articulated as three primary elements: the Street Block, the Civic Square Corner, and the Canal Side Marker. Each component plays a distinct role in shaping the public realm while contributing to a coherent architectural identity.
The Canal Side Marker shifts in tone and materiality. Expressed in a lighter-weight corten steel, it references the grit and texture of the adjacent railway infrastructure while introducing vertical emphasis and contemporary precision. This element acts as a visual signpost along the canal edge designed to read as a former industrial object sat on the canal edge as a nod to the sites past.
Responding to the canalside industrial heritage
A feature element in the canalside park
Plot N material exploration
A gateway defined by people, history and context
Phase 4 establish a confident gateway to Middlewood Locks — legible on the skyline and purposeful at street level.
The towers strengthen Salford and Manchester’s evolving silhouette, acting as clear markers of arrival. At ground level, the Civic Square becomes a defined urban room – framed by active frontages, animated by movement, and designed for events, gathering and everyday interaction. The Canal Side Park introduces a softer counterpoint, offering green space to pause, connect and dwell. The transition between park and square creates variety in character and scale, ensuring the experience feels layered and inclusive.
Together, the two plots balance landmark presence with human scale – delivering density, identity and everyday urban life in equal measure.
A civic language holding Signal Square
