Manchester’s iconic CIS Tower has sold for a reported £66m.

The grade two-listed, 28-storey building, which sits at the centre of the NOMA estate, has been purchased by Castlebrooke Investments.

The 387ft office block was previously home to the Co-operative Group and has been described as "the best of the Manchester’s 1960s tower blocks”.

It was the country’s largest building when it was completed in 1962 before being overtaken by London’s Millbank Tower.

The solar-clad tower is understood to have been on the market for more than six months.

(Image: Aidan O'Rourke)

Castlebrooke is a London-based investor developer headed by ex-Carisbrooke bosses Neil Young and Jonathan Mitchell.

The company is also behind the development of the 178,000 sq ft Landmark office on the former Odeon site in Manchester’s St Peter’s Square .

A Castlebrooke spokesman said: “The CIS Tower is the most significant asset management opportunity remaining in Manchester.

“We are fully committed to working with NOMA as our neighbours, and occupiers the Co-op, to ensure The CIS Tower fulfils its potential, as well as building Manchester’s presence on the world property stage.”

CBRE are understood to have advised Castlebrooke on the purchase.

(Image: Mark Waugh)

The tower is said to be fully occupied at present by various parts of the Co-operative Group.

Built in 1962, it was for decades the tallest building in Manchester, a title which has since been taken by the Beetham Tower .

The Grade II-listed building remains a constant of the ever-changing Manchester skyline, standing at 118m high.

It's covered in distinctive solar cells, making it one of the country’s most energy efficient buildings.

The area surrounding the tower has changed massively, never more so than in the past decade, with the emergence of the bustling £800m NOMA development.

A spokesperson from NOMA said: “The sale of The CIS Tower is part of our ongoing strategy to regenerate this important community in Manchester city centre. The Tower will remain a crucial part of the wider NOMA estate while the JV team focuses on developing key sites, including Dantzic, Hanover, and Redfern.

“The sale allows us to reinvest capital into NOMA while also maintaining momentum by bringing in other investment.”