CIS Tower

The CIS Tower stands on Miller Street in Manchester, a 118-metre high-rise built in 1962 for the Co-operative Insurance Society. It rises above a five-storey podium block, with each office floor offering 727 square metres of clear space. The tower has a symmetrical plan and a windowless service tower clad in 14 million grey mosaic tiles. A green abstract mural by William Mitchell covers the entrance hall’s rear wall, while interiors feature teak and cherry wood veneers. The building was designed by Gordon Tait and G. S. Hay, influenced by the Inland Steel Building in Chicago. The tower is the tallest office building in the UK outside London and was once the tallest in the country. Its mosaic-clad service tower was renovated in 2005 with 575.5 kilowatts of solar panels, then Europe’s largest commercial solar façade. The project cost £5.5 million and was partly funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Energy Savings Trust. The CIS board chose Miller Street after rejecting a Piccadilly site that required shops and a hotel. The building was opened by Prince Philip in 1962 and has since become a Grade II listed landmark. Visitors find a striking glass-and-steel structure set beside New Century House and One Angel Square. The entrance hall’s mural and wood-veneered interiors remain intact, while the solar-clad service tower shimmers in sunlight. The surrounding NOMA district covers 20 acres and hosts over 6,500 workers. The tower’s clear floor plates and flexible spaces reflect its original purpose as a modern headquarters. Its location on the Inner Ring Road makes it a prominent feature of Manchester’s skyline.