In Residence: Ian Simpson in Manchester's Beetham Tower

In the latest installation of NOWNESS’ In Residence series, British architect Ian Simpson describes how was told by his careers teacher "not to set [his] sights too high" when he decided that he wanted to become an Architect. Here, he discusses the design intentions behind his home – the tallest residence in the United Kingdom's second city: Manchester. For Simpson, "home is [only] forty seconds away by lift."

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In 1996 the largest bomb in mainland Britain that the IRA ever exploded was five hundred yards from here. [...] The bomb allowed us to create physical and visual permeability to the North.