Furniture specification and space dressing at Relentless’s No. 1 St Michael’s redevelopment

The St Michael’s development in Manchester is a major urban-regeneration scheme led by Relentless Developments, Gary Neville’s property company. Located where the former Bootle Street police headquarters once stood alongside the historic Sir Ralph Abercromby pub, the wider project includes a 41-storey tower that will house a five-star hotel and branded residences, alongside 270,000 sq ft of office space. It is already home to F&B operators including the rooftop restaurant Chotto Matte, Circolo Popolare, and coffee-and-cocktail bar GRIND. The scheme also includes a new public green space known as St Michael’s Square.

St Michael’s sits just off Manchester’s central Albert Square, minutes from the business district, St Peter’s Square and Deansgate, and a short drive from Manchester Airport. The development blends original heritage elements, such as the brick façade of the former Bootle Street police station, with contemporary glass architecture. It is also one of the most sustainable buildings in the city, achieving a BREEAM Outstanding rating.

The brief for the Penketh Interiors team was to curate and deliver a furniture portfolio that supported the architect’s vision for the building. While the overall aesthetic is cohesive, each space has its own subtle design language. One of the large ground-floor meeting rooms, for example, has a luxurious, boutique feel, while another adopts more masculine tones for a refined executive finish.

We furnished and dressed multiple spaces across the building, including the ground-floor main reception, meeting rooms, basement changing facilities, studio-style conference space and the back-of-house management offices. Alongside specifying and building the furniture portfolio, we dressed the spaces with finishing touches such as table lamps, rugs, plants, floor lamps and other décor features to complete the intended aesthetic.

Communal spaces and shared work settings were a key part of this project, so we’re ending with some reflections on why these environments are vital in contemporary workplace design.

Shared spaces are far more than breakout zones – they are central hubs for connection, collaboration and culture. They break down barriers between teams and create opportunities for organised teamwork and spontaneous “water-cooler” moments where ideas emerge naturally.

Think of social settings, event spaces, breakout areas and shared kitchens as the workplace’s ‘third space’ – somewhere between work and home that nurtures communication and relationship-building. Hierarchies soften, skills are shared, and conversations spark new thinking. Whether it’s a quick chat over coffee or an impromptu ideation session, these interactions often lead to an organisation’s most innovative ideas.

In today’s flexible-working world, these shared environments are essential for creativity and wellbeing. They provide space to pause, reset and return to the desk refreshed and energised.