In the background, Manchester's CIS Tower, in the foreground accommodation of a different type, as one city landlord breaks into new kinds of floorspace.
The Printworks — sold for £108M by Land Securities to DTZ Investors in 2017 — now also provides spacious modern coworking space for 240,000 bees and a bug hotel for around 100 common ground beetles.
The six hives on top of the Printworks produce 300 jars of honey a year, and are sold at the site's Hard Rock Cafe.
The bees and beetles, along with an allotment, fit into the 25-metre-by-15-metre rooftop garden.
The allotment is made possible by a one-of-a-kind hydroponics system that is dual-powered by solar panels and mains supply assist. It is a continuous-flow solution culture by a nutrient film technique.
The allotment grows lettuce to strawberries, peppers to broad beans, and cauliflower to courgettes.
Earlier this summer a Belfast academic published research showing that Manchester's office rooftops could provide up to 180 million packs of salad a year, if acquaponics and hydroponic growing systems were used.
The 369K SF Printworks is anchored by a 20-screen cinema.
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