55 King Street —
Decarbonised Brutalism.
Creating a new identity for 55 King Street, a brutalist office building with an imposing character.
Decarbonised Brutalism
55 King Street occupies a prominent position in Manchester’s Central Business District; the true core of the city. As a building that has dominated the street scape of King Street for over 50 years, it is only right and proper that this unique asset has a brand to reflect it’s standing. Refurbishment versus demolition was the only viable option and as part of the works the Orbit team sought to provide a decarbonised approach to the workspace, preparing it for the next generation, as such our positioning statement ‘Decarbonised Brutalism’ was born.
The brand came about through taking the obscure “dog’s bone” shape of the building and turning it into a custom number form, we also applied the same methodology to the floor numbers in the building to great affect.
How we
created feeling
Creating a contemporary brutalist brand for a refurbished icon building in Manchester taps into the raw emotional power of materiality, scale, and honesty in design. Brutalism, with its exposed concrete, structural clarity, and unapologetic geometry, resonates with a sense of authenticity and resilience qualities deeply rooted in Manchester’s industrial heritage. By leaning into these aesthetics, the brand doesn’t merely dress the building; it amplifies its architectural voice, evoking feelings of strength, permanence, and stark beauty. The juxtaposition of old and new, rugged and refined, invites the audience to reflect on the passage of time and the city’s capacity for reinvention.
Emotionally, this branding approach fosters a visceral connection with both space and story. It avoids nostalgia and instead evokes a grounded futurism, one that is unapologetically bold, yet deeply human. Materials like concrete, steel, and glass become more than surfaces; they are storytellers, anchoring memory while expressing ambition. Clean, assertive typography, a muted monochromatic palette, and tactile textures can all contribute to a sensory experience that feels both avant garde and intimately local. In doing so, the brand not only honours the legacy of the structure but positions it as a symbol of Manchester’s enduring creative spirit and cultural evolution.
Defining a strong sense of place and grounding a space in it’s brutalist routes.
Decarbonised Brutalism became the unique marketing angle for sustainability
Decarbonising a brutalist building as part of a sustainability strategy involves turning its inherent durability into a powerful asset. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, retaining and retrofitting the original concrete structure drastically reduces embodied carbon accounting for the energy already invested in its construction. The building transitions from a mid-century relic to a future facing exemplar of sustainable urban renewal. This approach not only preserves cultural and architectural heritage but aligns with a low carbon future through intelligent, regenerative transformation.
