A tough, flexible and fun new Student Union building made from materials that reflect its cultural importance
The Union is the social heart of Manchester Metropolitan University. The building is designed to accommodate its evolving and varied needs and is equipped with all the modern student union staples – table tennis, pool tables and coffee shops for the daytime, bars and sound systems for the nighttime. It also has meeting rooms and office spaces for the more serious side of running a student union.
It is designed to be durable and adaptable, but also good looking. Internal spaces are open and flexible, featuring exposed structures and services and pre-cast concrete walls.
Here to stay
We designed this building to be robust and functional – to cope with the rigours of a busy student union – but also decorative and playfully detailed.
Exterior surfaces are made from textured graphite bricks, similar in colour to materials used at the School of Art, but contrasting with the surrounding red brick buildings.
Interiors feature ceramic tiles inspired by the glazed tiling found on local Victorian buildings, such as The Salutation pub next door, which has been run by the union since 2011 and retains its original 1840s décor.
Modern, vibrant and relevant to the lifestyle of our members. FCB’s holistic design allows students to flex the entire building to support an endless variety of activity, ensuring every student can see The Union as ‘a place for people like me’
Matt Robinson, Chief Executive The Union, Manchester Metropolitan University