64 HEAD OFFICE3- TORKINGTON BUILDING, STOPFORD PARK
residential tower and the restoration of the Grade II listed Cheers & Smith building into flexible workspace. Together, these projects will deliver 442 homes alongside commercial space, public realm and a new Art Park.
The wider development occupies the former Stockport College campus within Town Centre West, one of Greater Manchester’ s largest regeneration areas. Cityheart acquired the site in 2023, with the masterplan forming part of wider investment intended to reconnect this section of the town centre through new homes, employment space and improved public spaces.
From a construction perspective, retaining the Torkington Building has presented a different set of challenges from those associated with a newbuild development. Every stage of the programme has required existing structural elements to be assessed, protected and incorporated into the new design, balancing engineering requirements with the practicalities of working within an ageing building.
When complete, the Torkington Building will offer more than new apartments. It will demonstrate how midcentury buildings can be successfully adapted for modern residential use through careful engineering and construction. Within the wider Stopford Park development, its transformation provides a clear example of how regeneration projects are increasingly combining heritage retention, carbon reduction and contemporary housing to create new neighbourhoods from existing urban assets.
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