Bruntwood SciTech has revealed a major, £3m refurbishment of the Mereside atrium at Alderley Park, breathing new life into the heart of the innovation campus.
Focused on improving communal spaces for customers and the local community, the transformative project sees the atrium’s arrival experience, shared areas and hospitality facilities reimagined, reaffirming Mereside’s position as the heart of the Alderley Park campus and providing an even better experience for its 4,000-strong community of innovators.
As well as new contemporary seating and breakout areas, with extensive biophilic elements bringing nature inside and improvements to the food and beverage provision, new workspace facilities are also being developed, with 8,000 sq ft of existing space being reconfigured to provide four premium workspace suites that will benefit from exclusive outdoor terraces overlooking Radnor Mere.
Sustainability has also been prioritised, with new, more efficient heating and ventilation systems in place to improve environmental performance while also creating a more comfortable setting for customers.
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The significant investment from Bruntwood SciTech reaffirms the importance of Alderley Park within the Cheshire business ecosystem, serving both as a gateway to internationally-recognised lab and workspace facilities and a central hub for customers and the local community to socialise.
Mark Julian, associate director at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Mereside is the beating heart of Alderley Park, and this investment is about making sure it works harder for the 4,000 people who use the campus every day. Through these changes, we’re adding even more of the elements that make the Park such a brilliant place for businesses to be based at – more flexibility, better spaces to collaborate and places that genuinely support how modern businesses work.
“The reimagined atrium will give people real choice in how they spend their day – whether that’s hosting clients overlooking Radnor Mere, finding a quiet spot for focused work or bringing teams together for events. And crucially, we’re doing this while significantly improving the building’s environmental performance.
“This is a long-term commitment to Alderley Park’s future. As we continue to attract ambitious companies pushing the boundaries, our spaces need to match that ambition. We’re building infrastructure that will serve this community for decades to come.”
Alderley Park provides more than 1 million sq ft of high-spec lab and office space within a thriving community of over 250 innovative businesses, alongside fitness and leisure facilities. The redevelopment of the Mereside atrium follows on from the recent opening of Apiary, a new events and conference centre located opposite Mereside, which provides 6,000 sq ft of event and meeting space operated by Fork & Field Catering. Local fine food and wine store Grantham’s has also announced it will be moving to the site, providing a premium deli, coffee shop and fine dining area due to open in Spring.
Customers at Alderley Park also benefit from access to Bruntwood SciTech’s UK-wide ecosystem of 1,100+ innovation-focused companies, alongside strategic partnerships with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester, providing pathways to clinical collaboration and access to the region’s highly-skilled research base and workforce.
