Spindles Shopping Centre Wins Award

Oldham Spindles has scooped a top award for transforming a struggling 1990s shopping centre into a vibrant, multi-functional workplace and community hub.

It was presented with the Innovation Award at the British Council for Offices (BCO) ceremony at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower.

The accolade was won by six landmark office buildings across the region. 

The BCO’s annual Northern Awards recognised projects that demonstrated best practice in office design, fit-out, operation and sustainability - setting the standard for excellence across the diverse sector. 

Judges said: “Oldham Spindles is an innovative project that reimagines urban regeneration, proving that underutilised retail spaces can be repurposed for modern office environments. 

“It sets a bold precedent for repurposing failing retail assets into thriving workspaces. A combination of architectural ingenuity, sustainability and social impact makes it a worthy recipient of the BCO Innovation Award, showcasing a transformative model for urban regeneration.” 

The BCO Northern Awards judging panel was chaired by Adam Tillis, Operations Director of Dragonfly Contracts, alongside Nathalie Baxter, Head of Workspace (Strategy) at the Home Group; Danielle Ford, Associate Director at GenNorth; Lee Treanor, Director at HBD; Richmal Wigglesworth, Associate Partner at Sheppard Robson. 

Alex Stork, Regional Committee Chair for the BCO, added: "This year’s BCO Northern Awards winners exemplify excellence in office design. These outstanding workspaces demonstrate how innovative strategies in well-being, sustainability, and community engagement can create remarkable commercial environments where people take pride in working. 

"The North continues to lead with some of the most exciting office developments, fuelled by collaborations between forward-thinking organisations, local authorities, and expert design and build specialists.

"Our judges were highly impressed by the exceptional quality of submissions this year. We extend our congratulations to the winners and those highly commended, and we eagerly anticipate the ongoing growth of the region’s office landscape."

The Northern region winners will now compete for the BCO National Awards in October 2025. More details will be announced soon. 

The lead sponsor for this year’s BCO Awards is AET Flexible Space. Gold sponsors are AECOM, Glamox and Troup Bywaters + Anders.