20 Stories

Located on the nineteenth-floor of No1 Spinningfields, 20 Stories is an exclusive and social venue comprising of a sophisticated restaurant, vibrant cocktail bar and outdoor terrace, which offers spectacular panoramic views across Manchester’s skyline.  

DesignLSM worked in collaboration with New York-based designers CetraRuddy and D&D London to create a stand out dining destination that reflects the vibrancy and spirit of the city. 

The design draws on Manchester’s industrial and agricultural past while embracing the restaurant’s unique site. ‘The garden in the sky’ concept conveys a glamorous and sophisticated ambience, merging with art elements, native materials and handcrafted textiles to create a feeling of warmth and authenticity.

The restaurant offers a variety of distinct indoor settings including the main restaurant, a private dining room, a cocktail bar, and a more casual brasserie and grill. The bar serves as a centre-piece for 20 Stories, with the dramatic form of its shimmering, illuminated canopy referencing “a grand specimen tree”.

Throughout the space, a selection of local textiles and natural materials such as oak timber flooring are combined with a modern, sophisticated palette of metals.

Outside, an expansive terrace and rooftop garden offers 360-degree views and a series of intimate, all-weather gathering spaces. An alfresco fireplace is set amid a lush installation of native plants and specimen silver birch trees lit with dramatic lighting.  An undulating concrete bar echoes the form of the indoors bar, framing a dynamic indoor-outdoor atmosphere set against the backdrop of Manchester’s skyline.