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UK consumer cooperative, the Co-operative Group’s new sustainable head office in Manchester, designed by 3DReid, features the shape of a ‘sliced egg’.

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Construction of the 30,000 square metre landmark office building is currently underway. Designed by Scottish global design practice 3DReid and built by UK-based construction group BAM, the structure features 16 floors above ground that rises to a height of 72.5 metres. The project is nicknamed as ‘the sliced egg’.

The £100 million ($155.9 million) building is designed around three cores placed at the corners of an equilateral triangle. The office space is arranged in blocks between each of them. The large central atrium, which fills most of the middle of the scheme, is expected to become an architectural landmark in the city. Convex curves along the main sides combined with curving corners curves the outside of the building. This helps in moving away from a defined triangular shape and provides an organic appearance to the entire structure.

The name ‘the sliced egg’ has been given to the scheme for the particular shape of the upper portion of the structure. On the upper levels from floor nine, a large portion of the building has been sliced diagonally away, as if it was an egg cut in half. A ring of light bronze cladding separates the inside from the outside. This arrangement helps the upper floors to reveal stepped terraces and aluminium framed glazing that shield the atrium.

One of the distinct elements of the building, which is unusual for a modern new-build office is, a couple of chimneys at the top that will vent the remains of the burned up. It will function as the structures’ own biomass power station.

The scheme is gearing towards completion by August 2012.