Looking north along Water Street.

“further cementing Manchester’s global reputation as a centre for the arts”

The top photo is from 2003 and kindly provided by Steve Welsh, looks north along Water Street. In the background you can see Allied London’s Spinningfields development under construction, and on the right the entrance to the Granada Studios Tour, which operated from 1988 until its closure in 1999.

The bottom photo, taken in March 2026, shows the scale of change in this area over the past two decades.

In the centre is Allied London’s 10‑storey Globe Building — 88,000 sq ft on part of the former Granada estate once occupied by the Globe and Simpson motor works — now serving as the new innovation building at the gateway to Enterprise City and St. John’s.

To the right is the first phase of Union Tower, an 870‑bed co‑living development by Vita Group and constructed by RENAKER. The 32‑storey scheme was designed by Denton Corker Marshall.

Just off‑camera, also on the former Granada Studios site, is Aviva Studios — opened in 2023 as the home of Factory International. Designed by OMA, it sits at the heart of the St John’s neighbourhood and Enterprise City, transforming a historic media site into a major cultural destination and further cementing Manchester’s global reputation as a centre for the arts.