Furniture consultancy at 3 Hardman Street in Manchester’s Spinningfields

At the heart of Spinningfields: 3 Hardman Street

Positioned in Manchester’s bustling commercial district, 3 Hardman Street sits in the epicentre of Spinningfields. Positioned on the banks of the River Irwell, Spinningfields is Manchester’s answer to a global business quarter and is a district engineered around productivity, culture, retail and wellbeing. It offers some of the city’s largest single-office floor plates, and Mapletree is investing heavily in it to upgrade and “maintain a world-class occupier experience”.

Spinningfields is within walking distance of key transport links, including the Metro Shuttle and Deansgate train, making it a popular district for tourists, residents and business tenants alike. It’s also a stone’s throw from St. Peter’s Square, Salford Central, and Salford Central by tram.

With over 165 resident businesses and more than 45 restaurants, cafés, bars and retail destinations, the popular area blends corporate credibility with cultural energy. The reception lounge at 3 Hardman Street extends this identity, offering tenants space to work, meet, rejuvenate, socialise, and transition without disconnecting from the wider Spinningfields experience.

3 Hardman Street is a space designed for long-term comfort, flexibility and community. It provides people with an inclusive, refined, functional place, connected to daily building life, and empowering flexible work, effortless socialising effortlessly and intuitive use of the working environment.

Our brief and approach: Non-fixed flair and functionality

The vision for 3 Hardman Street’s new reception and business lounge was to create spaces that feel instinctive and effortless to use, driven by the natural flow of people through the building. The

refurbishment focuses on elevating the arrival experience through an intuitive layout and strategically layered loose furniture.

As furniture consultants involved in the project, our scope covered all loose and non-fixed furnishings throughout the East and West reception spaces, including the lounge, breakout spaces and library zones. Working in partnership with the rest of the project crew, we curated and delivered a furniture scheme that complements AXI’s original interior concept.

Welcoming touchpoints are open and accessible, paired with quieter corners with soft seating that encourage longer stays when needed. A curated library area and lounge configuration introduce adaptable settings for meetings, reflection, or informal coworking, adding usability without crowding the space or over-expanding the furniture’s footprint.

Drawing on tactile comfort and material authenticity, the furniture portfolio spotlights:

• Natural timber finishes for warmth and modern freshness.

• Upholstered seating to support acoustics and enhance reception ambience.

• A considered colour palette of fabrics and materials that enhances cohesion over contrast.

• Furnished lounges that support free and fluid movement around the space.

• Furnishings curated to complement the overall look and feel of the interior scheme.

The result is a welcome setting that supports both first impressions of visitors and the everyday tenant experience.

MIX Awards North 2025 Finalist

AXI have achieved an impressive nomination in the Mix Interiors 2025 Mix Awards North for this incredible project. They are finalists in the Workplace Interiors Project of the Year category, for spaces 5,000 to 15,000 square foot.

This positions 3 Hardman Street as one of the most compelling commercial interior refurbishments across Northern workplace design this year. We’re delighted to see it being recognised for its contemporary approach to tenant-centric design, and we’re proud to have been involved in the project.

Planning an office refurbishment of your own? Get in touch to learn more about how our award-winning team can help.