Global space, community, and services company WeWork has today announced its first UK location outside of London.
Manchester’s No. 1 Spinningfields, owned by Allied London, is the tallest commercial building to be built in Manchester in the last 50 years and is situated at the heart of one of Europe’s most flourishing business and leisure quarters.
WeWork’s Manchester location is the 20th WeWork to be announced in the UK, where the company already has 14 open locations in London, which are home to over 15,000 members. With over 140 physical locations across 15 countries and 45 cities around the world, WeWork provides over 120,000 global members with the community and services to create their life’s work through both physical and digital offerings.
Ahead of the opening, Manchester’s entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs will be able to take part in WeWork’s Creator Awards programme. It offers awards totalling over $20m globally to empower individuals and organisations from around the world that are making a difference in their communities and pursuing their passions.
The move acknowledges Manchester’s growing reputation as a centre for innovation, media and technology, with almost 8,000 firms starting up in the region last year. This is reflected in Allied London’s significant investment into numerous commercial developments which, alongside No.1 Spinningfields, include the new Enterprise City cluster at St. Johns and the digitally-led XYZ Building.
Joe Gaunt, the UK Managing Director for WeWork commented: “Manchester is an obvious choice for our second city. It couples a vibrant cultural heritage with an established desirable business location. The city has excellent infrastructure and a growing tech and start-up sector and is showing itself to be an increasingly appealing destination providing a fantastic work life balance.
“We are proud to have secured premises in the latest addition to the Manchester skyline and believe this best in class building will provide the perfect hub for entrepreneurs, start-ups, freelancers and established companies alike to create their life’s work.”
Michael Ingall, Chief Executive of Allied London said: “WeWork coming to Manchester is a big story, it is a powerful brand that will help Manchester and us as developers and investors with our inward investment agenda. It’s a diverse brand, aimed at corporates as well as creative industries and will significantly expand the choice and offer within Spinningfields”.
