Circle Square Manchester
A Square
called Circle
Our
neighbourhood
Circle Square Manchester
Our neighbourhood
A Square called Circle.
A green space in the city.
A neighbourhood like
no other.
OUR
NEIGHBOURHOOD
Welcome to Circle Square.
Where adopters rub shoulders
with doctors. Analysts meet artists.
Business meets pleasure. Artisan
bakers meet scientific innovators,
and creatives meet natives.
Created in meticulous detail –
down to every last seed, tree and
patch of grass – Circle Square
will grow from the ground into a
colourful, vibrant place.
Nature will soon meet residents,
visitors, retailers, shoppers and
workers. But more than this,
it will inspire them to make
extraordinary things happen.
Circle Square Manchester
Circle Square Manchester
Painted by numbers
Painted by numbers
CIRCLE SQUARE
PAINTED BY
NUMBERS
2.4M sq ft
the overall size of the site.
250,000 sq ft
180 Large
semi-mature trees.
of beautifully designed public realm.
Space to breathe.
Connect. Interact and enjoy.
Affinity Living
accommodation of
677 apartments.
Connected, community building
living for the social generation.
Experience led
accommodation of
604 apartments.
The experience of living in a
great place like this.
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1.2M sq ft
1,281
new homes
of offices, comfortable
enough for around
10,000 people.
in a unique new community.
100,000 sq ft
60,000 sq ft
of retail space
for shops, studios, bars
and restaurants.
for a brand new,
city hotel of 150 rooms.
1,000
Lots of green areas, plants and
attractive stone paving.
1,000
Car parking spaces
to make
1,000 cars invisible.
Bicycle spaces
20 Minutes’
4 Minutes’ walk
train ride to
Manchester Airport.
in the interests of
green transport.
to Oxford Road Railway Station.
12 Minutes’ walk
to Piccadilly Station.
Direct
connections
to the uk’s best road,
rail and air travel network.
Key road connections
across the city,
to the Mancunian way
and the wider
motorway network.
Circle Square Manchester
Circle Square Manchester
Painted by numbers
Painted by numbers
A GREEN SPACE
Central green square
IN THE CITY
In comparison to vibrant Manchester landmarks, the Circle Square community will be:
Our community has the capacity
to hold 31 average size football
pitches, that’s enough space to
host all the premier league teams
in one go
By planting
180 new trees,
we will create over
48,000 pounds
of extra oxygen per year
Our central green square
wil be equivalent in length
to 14 double decker buses
put in one line...
Circle Square will be planting
over 1000 plants,
trees and bushes to flourish
in the heart of the city
How we measure up across the world!
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Over five times
Over nine times
the area taken up by the
historic John Rylands Library
the area taken up by
Beetham Tower
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The green and public area
created will be two times
times larger than
Piccadilly Gardens
The space will be
Circle Square will be over
43 times the size of the
White House
69 times larger than
India’sTaj Mahal
The base of New York’s
Empire State Building
could be placed in Circle
Square over 30 times
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Circle Square Manchester
A Square called Circle
VIBRANT,
COLOURFUL
AND EVER
CHANGING
Behind the greenery
Our plans for Circle Square intend to transform the
landscape and capture the minds of everyone who lives,
works and socialises there. A rare and valuable green
space at the heart of this neighbourhood, it will offer a
colourful and distinctive landscape where people can
meet, connect and collaborate – and as part of the
Circle Square community, achieve extraordinary things.
Heritage and new culture will be embraced in the plants,
which originate from different areas of the globe and will
provide colour and vibrancy all year round. Circle Square
has aimed to ensure there is the perfect balance of
autochthonous species to maintain a healthy ecosystem,
as well as ornamental plants to provide beauty for the
neighbourhood. In this case bringing rare species create
pocket gardens which bring plants from across the globe
to the garden.
Circle Square Manchester
Painted by numbers
Our vibrant green space
will encompass
Platanus x acerifolia
Betula pendula
Did you know? it is often claimed that the hybridisation
of this tree took place in Spain, but it could also have
happened in Vauxhall Gardens in London where John
Tradescant the Younger discovered the tree in the
mid-17th century!
More commonly referred to as a ‘Silver Birch’ Did you know?
In the spring, large quantities of sap rise up the trunk and
this can be tapped. It contains around 1% sugars and can
be used in a similar way to maple syrup, being drunk fresh,
Quercus palustris
Salix babylonica
Also known as the swamp Spanish oak, which originates
from Connecticut, USA.
concentrated by evaporation or fermented into a wine.
More famously known as the ‘Weeping Willow’.
Salix alba ‘saba’
Alnus x spaethii
A fast-growing tree of medium size with large leaves that
are purplish when young.
Did you know? ’Saba’ trees produce Hippocrates, Galen,
Pliny the Elder in their bark, these have been long used in
Europe and China for the treatment of aches and pains
and to reduce fevers.
Platanus x acerifolia
Betula pendula
Quercus palustris
Alnus x spaethii
Salix alba ‘saba’
Salix babylonica
Circle Square Manchester
A Square
Circle
Flowers
in called
the green
Circle Square Manchester
Flowers in the green
The Sambucus nigra tends to thrives in bright, sunny
locations. Its berries are edible after cooking and can be
made into delicious jam, wine, jelly and chutney
The Campanula portenschlagiana very popular in the
Dalmatian Mountains in Croatia and can be seen for miles
around due to its bright violet bell shaped flowers
The Sesleria autumnalis is a cool season grass which often
catches the eye with its distinct silvery leaves
Seasonal planting: across the landscape we will have an
array of planting that grows seasonally including bluebells
and a selection of tulips
Rodgersia pinnata is native to the Sichuan and Yunnan
provinces of China. Its flowers bloom best in summer with
characteristics including large bronze-tinted leaves
Traditional garden favourites: Pink and white herbaceousus
to add ‘September charm’ as well as ornamental grasses
for year long green
Sesleria autumnnalis is known for its silvery-white flowers
which beautifully compliment its golden leaves which are
vibrant throughout autumn
Anemanthele lessoniana, a New Zealand native plant with
highlights of orange, copper and gold when the leaves
catch the sunlight
The Hemerocallis flower is Greek for ‘beautiful’ due to the
wild trumpet flowers it produces. The strong and vibrant
colours are often bright yellow, orange or red
The elegant Molinia caerulea can grow in up to 2,300m
above sea level. Its dark green leaves tend to flower in
Summer, creating beautiful purple toned flowers
Bergenia cordifolia is often referred to as the heart leaf
flower, with blush tipped leaves flowering between March
and April
Epimedium grandiflorum is known as dam duong hoac
in Vietnamese, with roots dating back to early Chinese
medicine. In spring its delicate flowers can produce pink,
white, yellow or purple tones
The Ajuga reptans is a wild herbaceous flowering plant
native to Europe. The flowers, although small are a deep
midnight blue
The Vinca minor flower is best known as the periwinkle and
its dark green glossy leaves are leathery to touch
Prunus spinosa flowers in early spring, with some types
producing delicious edible fruit in the autumn
Alchemilla mollis is grown across the world as an
ornamental garden plant and is derived from the Arabic
word meaning ‘magical little one’
Rubus tricolor is a prickly Chinese bramble from the
Rosaceae family. Its five-petalled flowers are often followed
by juicy, sometimes edible fruits
Taxus baccata derives from the Latin for bearing red berries.
The plant can reach up to between 400-600 years old with
some in the UK believed to pre-date the 10th century
Luzula nivea is often found in the Alps and Pyrenees where
its shiny white flowers can often be mistaken for snow
The Skimmia x confusa evokes a strong aromatic smell from
its small detailed leaves and flowers which are often a pale
yellow or white colour
Persicaria bistorta is the main ingredient in Easter-Ledge
pudding a savoury recipe from our neighbouring
Cumberland and the Lake District
Anemanthele
lessoniana
Molinia
caerulea
Hemerocallis
Luzula nivea
Rodgersia pinnata
Epimedium
grandiflorum
Vinca
minor
Prunus
spinosa
Taxus
baccata
Bergenia cordifolia
Ajuga reptans
Alchemilla mollis
Rubus tricolor
Sambucus nigra
Sesleria autumnalis
Persicaria bistorta
Sesleria autumnalis
Skimmia ×
confusa
Campanula portenschlagiana
Circle Square Manchester
A million miles from ordinary
Circle Square Manchester
A million miles from ordinary
A MILLION MILES
FROM ORDINARY
Circle Square is ready to blossom in
every single way. Day by day, week
by week, year by year.
The vision is becoming a reality –
a colourful, vibrant, blooming reality.
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