Sunlight House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sunlight House |
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Sunlight House with London Scottish House in the foreground
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| General information | |
| Status | Grade II |
| Architectural style | Art deco |
| Address | Quay Street, Manchester |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Renovated | 1997 |
| Owner | Warner Estates |
| Height | 135 feet (41 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Joseph Sunlight |
Sunlight House is a special building in Manchester, England. It's on Quay Street and was finished in 1932. This building is famous for its cool Art Deco style. It was built for a person named Joseph Sunlight. With 14 floors, it used to be the tallest building in Manchester! Its unique top, with towers and special roofs, makes it stand out in the city.
About Sunlight House
Sunlight House has 14 floors. It is made from strong steel and concrete. The outside of the building is covered with a type of stone called Portland stone. The building is almost square. It has three sides that face the street.
Inside, there is a large open space called a light-well. This space lets light into the middle of the building. Below the first floor, there is even a swimming pool in the basement! This pool has a special glass dome above it.
The corners of the building have three-sided towers. These towers go up very high. They end in an eight-sided top part called a turret. Each turret has a dome and a pointy decoration on top.
Behind these towers, the top four floors look like a special roof called a mansard roof. This roof has many square windows that stick out. All these features, like the towers and windows, make Sunlight House look very unique. It's a major landmark in the city.
Building History
Sunlight House was finished in 1932. This was during a tough time called the Great Depression. The architect and builder, Joseph Sunlight, built it. It was meant to be the main office for his property business. He also planned to rent out offices and shops.
Originally, the building was supposed to be 40 floors tall! But the city council didn't agree. So, the plan was changed. When it was finished, Sunlight House had 14 floors and was about 135 feet (41 meters) tall. This made it the tallest building in Manchester until the 1960s. Some people even called it Northern England's first skyscraper. In 1948, there was another idea to add 40 more floors, but it never happened.
Modern Use and Changes
In 1997, Sunlight House was updated. Workers found that the bolts holding the stone on the outside were rusty. After the repairs, the building now has offices, shops, and a health club. The health club still uses the original swimming pool in the basement!
Over the years, Sunlight House has been bought and sold many times. For example, in 2002, a company called CIS bought it. Then, in 2005, Warner Estate Holdings bought it. In 2014, it was bought by Scottish Widows Investment Partners. Later, in 2018, Aberdeen Standard Investments spent £4 million to make it even better.
