Manc-Hattan

Manchester in the north of England is the most dynamic and fastest-growing city of the UK. The thriving metropolis - once the birthplace of the industrial revolution - has been turned into a vibrant urban space in only a few years. The skyline has been transformed with skyscrapers rising all over the city center.

This modern re-generation can be seen exemplary when looking at the skyscraper complex “New Jackson” by regional developer Renaker. It consists of complex futuristic matchstick buildings with air-conditioned residential units, many sold to overseas investors. Those stand just off Deansgate - once a slum area of Manchester described “as hell on Earth” by Friedrich Engels.

A storm of protest broke out when developer Renaker advertised a luxurious 290 square metres flat for £2.5m in the Eastern Tower named “The Engels”. The skyscraper is just a few hundred meters away from a statue of the German communist Friedrich Engels shipped to the cultural venue HOME from former Eastern Europe.