Will Alsop, the leading architect on the CHIPS development, central Manchester, likes people. In fact, when designing the colourful landmark building that presides over New Islington, a formerly rundown area that is part of an ambitious regeneration project, Alsop talked to local residents and asked them to draw pictures of what they really wanted. “They were all keen on an area that allowed them to enjoy the sun, whenever it was out, and to be able to have a beer by the water and relax.”

No surprise then that what has become CHIPS, Alsop’s first residential building in the UK — so named because it looks like several chips piled on top of one another — has attracted a high number of local buyers. It has 143 flats, including 50 for shared ownership and Rent to HomeBuy, 23 of which are still available. As Bricks & Mortar predicted in March, it has proved incredibly popular: most of the private flats sold pre-launch — an amazing feat given that a glut of new-build flats in central and west Manchester have been left unsold in the downturn, or sold at reductions of up to 60 per cent. When New Islington is completed, it is expected to have shops, pubs, bars, a new tram stop, a health centre and 3,000m of canalside.

Alsop’s previous projects include the award-winning Peckham Library and Blizard Building, both in London, and CHIPS has been built in a similar vein, with bright colours and odd shapes. “I knew the building had to be quite high — nine storeys to be exact — but I also knew that I did not want to erect one big slab. This is much more fun for the people who actually live there,” Alsop says.

The building has been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival Awards, competing alongside high-profile projects such as the new Centre Court at Wimbledon. Matthew Harrison, the deputy chief executive of Great Places Housing, the group looking after the affordable flats, says: “There is no reason why homes built for affordable rent or sale should look bland or uninspiring.”

The details

Shared ownership A 35 per cent share in a one-bedroom flat starts at £35,000; you must pay subsidised rent on the remainder.

Private There are seven two-bedroom flats starting at £185,000.

Contact For more information on private flats, call Urban Splash on 0161-839 2999 or visit www.urbansplash.co.uk.

For Rent to HomeBuy or Shared Ownership, call Plumlife on 0161-447 5050 or visit www.plumlife.co.uk

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