Beetham Tower, Manchester

Beetham Tower is currently the tallest building in Manchester, and one of the city’s most dynamic modern buildings. Completed in 2006, the tower is over 550 feet tall, and is the tallest building in the UK outside of London. In addition, it is the tallest building in the UK that is entirely residential. The lower 22 floors are taken up by a luxury Hilton Hotel. Above this point, the building cantilevers, creating a visible step as the floors above become wider. On the 23rd floor, the hotel’s Sky Bar allows customers to view the city through the venue’s glass floor. The upper floors are divided into luxury apartments.

The building’s architect, Ian Simpson, owns the penthouse suite, which covers the top two floors and contains an indoor garden. From the higher floors, Mount Snowdon in Wales is visible on a clear day. Other notable residents of the tower include Gary & Phil Neville, the sibling footballers that previously played together for England & Manchester United. One of the slenderest skyscrapers ever constructed, the building is 10 times higher than it is wide, a design feature forced by the high cost of land at its Deansgate location. The building has become a symbol of modern Manchester, and a sister project is on the cards, to be constructed on the south bank of the Thames in London.