John McAslan + Partners was commissioned to develop design proposals for a new bus interchange at Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester.  The scheme included the redevelopment of the existing bus station, integrating it with the existing Metrolink city centre tram service.  Our design options, which used modular components to allow straightforward future extensions, included individual steel 'tree' structures designed to extend through the site carrying ETFE canopies.  The design creates a great deal of architectural and spatial drama very cost-effectively by using a lightweight kit-of-parts approach in the design of structural and canopy elements.