Gilbanks selected for trophy Manchester office

Gilbanks has been appointed to launch 22,000 sq ft of new serviced offices at 11 York Street by Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc and the building’s landlord.

It is the only new-build Grade-A building in the central business district, having recently been named the best new build outside of central London and has already attracted Rolls Royce as an occupier.

The flexible office space offers 12-month terms to support tenants’ business requirements. In

addition, it is designed for task-based and hybrid work, designed to inspire younger workers back to the office. Members at 11 York Street will benefit from an events space that will host regular yoga sessions and a sky suite on the eighth floor to host events with views over the city.

Gilbanks specialises in helping SMEs to large corporates maximise efficiencies for their office space.

Commenting on the launch, Alex Duckett, managing director of Gilbanks, said: “We have ambitious plans for Gilbanks and are always looking for the best sites and commercial partners for our offices. Aviva Investors has developed a fantastic building at 11 York Street, and we believe we have the potential to develop a thriving business community in the shared space that will create synergies for all tenants.

“We design productive workspaces for professional people. It’s an approach that appeals to our partners and customers. Our customers have come to expect a level of product that sits apart from the competition, and we believe that our new Manchester offices will raise the bar in the city.”

Julian Cobourne, head of regional offices at Aviva Investors, said: “11 York Street is a building that typifies our portfolio in Manchester, a City with all the attributes we expect will enable it to thrive into the future as one of Europe’s top creative hubs. We believe that by working alongside Gilbanks, we can offer resident firms facilities that put them front-of-mind, benefit the way they work, and that encourage collaborative working.”

Andrew Cowell of OBi, who brokered the deal, said: “There is a lack of suitable space offering a premium full-service flexible service in Manchester. It means professional services firms and large corporates looking to benefit from this way of working may be forced to look elsewhere or settle for a compromise. We are confident Gilbanks new offices will meet that demand.”