• Architect: Cetra Ruddy and Design LSM
• Client: Monaghans
• Photography: James French

Situated on the nineteenth-floor of No.1 Spinningfields, 20 Stories is Manchester’s highest restaurant, bar and rooftop garden boasting panoramic views across the city.

The venue’s fit out was delivered by DesignLSM in collaboration with New York-based designers CetraRuddy with the vision was to create a stand-out dining destination that reflects the vibrancy and spirit of the city.

A ‘garden in the sky’ concept was proposed, drawing on Manchester’s industrial and agricultural past. At the heart of this concept was an illuminated internal canopy referencing ‘a grand specimen tree’ which we provided the structural engineering design for.

With a complex geometric design and an 8m diameter, the challenge behind the structural design of the canopy was in creating a viable solution within the budget and without compromising the original design intent. A full parametric model of the canopy was developed, and multiple options were able to be quickly assessed by the team.

The final design is a free-standing canopy supported from an existing column, effectively requiring the structure to cantilever from the floor. Formed of several steel spars with fabric panel cladding, the project came in within budget and the construction was light-touch and efficient.