Huckletree, the London and Dublin workspace accelerator, will open its first out-of-capital city operation in Manchester. It has signed for the Grade-II* listed Express Building at Great Ancoats Street — and it is going to be funky.

Huckletree is taking the 26K SF lower ground, ground and first floors in the striking modernist 78K SF building, which was built in 1939 for the Daily Express newspaper.

A business at home in Soho, Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and the hipster end of Dublin will feel at home in Ancoats. The office will open this spring.

Huckletree, founded in 2014 by Gabriela Hersham and Andrew Lynch, said it "curates communities of enterprising businesses". The word 'curate' probably tells you everything you need to know about their approach to business that has not already been said by the pink-and-crazy-zebra styled interior design.

"The tech scene in Manchester is incredible and I know the spirit of collaboration is intrinsic in the city, so we know Huckletree will be able to help many businesses develop and grow," Lynch said.

OBI is leasing agent on behalf of Express Building owners Wittington Investments [Properties]. OBI's workplace consultancy team is working with Huckletree on the interior design of its space.