Whitworth Locke — Manchester, UK

The UK’s contested second city, and uncontested ‘Capital of the North’, Manchester is experiencing a period of roaring cultural growth. It’s little wonder therefore that the city with aspirations to become a truly global player is now home to Locke Hotels’ most ambitious project to date.
Set across three former export mills, Whitworth Locke features 160 studios and an assortment of capacious public areas that position the property as both aparthotel and community hub.
Matthew Grzywinski, of Grzywinski+Pons, led the overall design, which continues the group’s propensity for pastels and orderly, understated styling. In many ways Whitworth Locke is a story of colour and studios feature painted original brickwork in hues of salmon, with light wood floors and accents of green in neatly angular sofas.
The extensive co-working spaces on the ground floor, meanwhile, are more forceful in appearance, with walls of foliage and splashes of bright yellow – a nod to the worker bee, perhaps the most well-known symbol of the city.
One of the most defining elements is the grand glass atrium, which ensconces the lobby-cum-cocktail bar. Surprisingly, it’s an 1980s addition to the building, but so convincingly Victorian that it survived the renovation and now affords the sullen Manchester sky a permanent presence.
Also at ground level is neighbourhood coffeehouse, Foundation. Designed by local studio NoChintz, it’s the second location of a popular brand founded in the city’s Northern Quarter and, beyond espressos, provides a cultural programme of yoga classes and film nights for locals and long-stays alike.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
74 Princess Street
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Byredo introduces its first fine jewellery collection
Byredo fine jewellery launches with the ‘Virasaat’ collection, meaning ‘inheritance’, influenced by founder Ben Gorham’s Indian heritage
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
True to Type is a new Korean furniture brand for future generations
Seoul-based Jinsik Kim launches True to Type to explore craftsmanship and aesthetic purity through furniture and objects
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
2023 Doolan Best Building award goes to Cuddymoss by Ann Nisbet Studio
The 2023 Doolan Best Building award is given to Cuddymoss, a ruin in north Ayrshire transformed into Scotland's finest building of the year
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The Wolseley City brings the brand’s 1920s glamour and identity to the 21st century
The Wolseley City opens to a design by Fabled Studio, bringing the celebrated hospitality brand from Piccadilly to the City of London
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Sexy Fish Manchester brings scrumptious flamboyance to Deansgate
Sexy Fish Manchester opens its doors to reveal its signature, delicious Asian inspired food and rich, art-filled interior
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
We spend the night at The Peninsula London
We spend a night at The Peninsula London, which raises the bar for the premier Asian hospitality specialist
By Lauren Ho Published
-
The Peninsula hotel in London is a finely tuned global ‘showpiece’
The Peninsula, the world’s longest continually operating hotel group, opens its long-awaited London location in Belgravia; we take a first look inside
By Tilly Macalister-Smith Published
-
Make for Margate, the creative corner of Kent where change is the new constant
Discover Margate, the UK seafront town, whose spruced-up image is being driven by smart hotels, cultural attractions, and inviting dining spots, as recommended by travel journalist and regular visitor Josephine Price
By Josephine Price Published
-
Estelle Manor is a chic take on the hotel and country club
Estelle Manor, a transformed Grade II-listed house and estate in Oxfordshire, welcomes guests with Roman and Williams interiors, parasols by the pool, and a soon-to-open tepidarium
By Henrietta Thompson Published
-
The Dorchester hotel unveils 21st-century look by Pierre-Yves Rochon
London’s Dorchester hotel gets a glamourous refresh by Pierre-Yves Rochon
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Manzi’s is reborn in London’s Soho offering flamboyant seafood dining
Manzi’s by The Wolseley Hospitality Group opens in Soho, London, introducing its all-day seafood delicacies and flamboyant decor
By Ellie Stathaki Published