[4] The development occupies a sliver of land at the top of Deansgate, hence its elongated plan, and was proposed in July 2003, with construction beginning a year later.

The tower is known for emitting a loud unintentional hum or howl in windy weather, believed to emanate from the glass 'blade' atop the building.

One of the cores reached 122 m (400 ft) at the end of July 2005, at which point the building became the tallest skyscraper in the United Kingdom outside London.

[33] The tower was built by Carillion[4] using post-tensioned flat slab concrete construction techniques[34] and was the first structure in the United Kingdom to use the Doka SKE 100 automatic climbing system and trapezoidal windshield.

[38] On the west- and east-facing sides, aluminium strips which are noticeable from ground level project outwards to provide shading from the sun.

[39] The architect, Ian Simpson, lives in the top floor penthouse, the highest residential space in Europe[41] after surpassing Lauderdale Tower at the Barbican Estate in London upon opening in 2006.

[10][39] It has a semi-indoor garden containing 21 four-metre-tall olive, lemon and oak trees, originating from Italy and lifted into place with cranes through a small aperture in the roof before it was glazed in 2006.

[49] The building has become known for an intermittent hum, or howling, which is heard in windy weather, emanating from the roof's glass blade, and first reported in May 2006 – just weeks after the tower opened.

[50] The skyscraper was intended to be 50 storeys high rather than 47, but wind load tests showed that it would sway too much because of its slender shape and the 'glass blade' façade overrun caused by the height reduction has been blamed for the noise.

[54] Foam pads were installed in 2006, aluminium nosing in 2007 and further work done in February 2010,[55] but attempts to eradicate the noise permanently have been unsuccessful.

On 29 January 2009, a fire broke out on the 31st floor in Italian professional footballer Mario Balotelli's flat, and the tower was partially evacuated; one apartment was left uninhabitable.

[61][6] The site was the subject of a seven-year legal battle initiated by the Yianis Group hotel company, Blue Manchester Limited ('BML').

This move came two years after a High Court ruled that NWGR, as building owner, must pay to change screw-stitch pressure plates on the glass panels for a more permanent and aesthetically pleasing solution to fix facade defects.

Despite mandatory remedial works estimated to cost £8.9m and modest annual ground rent income of £33,250 from the apartments and £30,902 from the hotel, a buyer was found who acquired the building for a 'nominal' sum.

[5] On 18 September 2023, with the development now under John Christodoulou ownership, a huge pane of glass from the hotel facade fell off the building as the temporary stitch plates failed while long awaited critical remedial works remained unfulfilled by the landlord.

[67][68][69] The Beetham Tower featured in television programmes Vertical City (2007) for More 4, Britain From Above for BBC One (2008) and Time Travel (2010) for the National Geographic Channel.

[citation needed] American band Paramore used an audio sample from a video of the tower howling, throughout the track "Idle Worship" on their 2017 album After Laughter.

In an interview with Zane Lowe for Beats 1, guitarist Taylor York admitted to finding out about Beetham Tower online and then went on to sample it in the song.