Toast Rack

Toast Rack is a seven-story Modernist building of concrete and brick in Fallowfield, distinguished by its characteristic framework that extends across the exterior walls. Its hyperbolic paraboloid forms create the distinctive rack-like appearance that gives the structure its name.

The building was designed in 1960 by architect Leonard Cecil Howitt as an educational facility originally called the Domestic Trades College. It later became part of Manchester Metropolitan University until the institution relocated in 2013.

The building is valued by the architecture community for its distinctive visual approach and defines the neighborhood's character through its unusual profile. Visitors notice the bold concrete forms that depart from standard design conventions of its era.

The building sits in a busy student neighborhood and is accessible on foot from the city center. Today the property functions as residential and leisure spaces, with surrounding streets offering shops and services.

The dining block within the complex earned the nickname Poached Egg because of its round shape, continuing the breakfast theme of the architecture. Critic Nikolaus Pevsner recognized the structure as a notable example of post-war Pop architecture.

Location: Manchester

Official opening: 1960

GPS coordinates: 53.44740,-2.21671

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:02