Manchester Town Hall, Manchester, Greater Manchester M2

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2023: "The Town Hall is closed to be lovingly restored"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Town_Hall

2025: "By late 2014, the Town Hall was being described as "being in urgent need of essential repair" and modernisation.[19] In a 2014 report, Manchester City Council highlighted the need to replace the building's heating and electrical systems, refurbish windows and high-level stonework and repair parts of the roofing. Over 500 timber windows will be restored as part of this renovation project.[20] The building temporarily closed to visitors in 2018 to undergo a £330 million renovation project.[21][22] The refurbishment has been both over-budget and late, with the building now scheduled to be re-opened in summer 2026.[5]]

Waterhouse's plan for the town hall bridged the gap between office and ceremonial requirements and maximised space on its triangular site.[44] His design for a six-storey building filled the asymmetrical site.[45] Set around its perimeter is a cloister of corridors linking offices and everyday workings. Its grandiose, ceremonial features are centrally located. By the main entrance on Albert Square are two grand staircases leading to the landing outside its Great Hall. The stairs have low risers allowing access for women in Victorian dress. The walls of the staircases have tall, arched windows admitting daylight.[46] Three spiral staircases accessing the first floor from entrances on Princess Street, Lloyd Street and Cooper Street are constructed in English, Scottish and Irish granite.[47]

The ground-floor Sculpture Hall contains statues and busts of people who made significant contributions to Manchester, the Anti-Corn Law campaigners, Richard Cobden and John Bright,[48] and scientists John Dalton and James Joule among many others.[49] The room measures 53 feet by 33 feet and has a groin vaulted ceiling, constructed out of Bath stone.[50] The Sculpture Hall Café is now located here.[51] 

Great Hall: The landing has a glazed skylight on which the names of mayors, lord mayors and chairs of the council since Manchester received its Charter of Corporation in 1838 are inscribed on glass panes.[52] The landing has a mosaic floor with a pattern of bees and cotton flowers, both symbols of Manchester. Influential Victorian critic John Ruskin described the Great Hall as "The most truly magnificent Gothic apartment in Europe."[53]

The rectangular hall measures 100 feet (30 m) by 50 feet (15 m). Natural light permeates from seven high windows on either side of the hall from the courtyards outside. It has a wagon roof,[54] its ceiling divided into panels bearing the arms of countries and towns with which Manchester traded at the zenith of its mercantile power. The Manchester Murals by Ford Madox Brown, a sequence of 12 paintings depicting the history of Manchester decorate its walls.[55] They are not true frescoes but use the Gambier Parry process.[56]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manchester_Murals"

"The Manchester Murals are a series of twelve paintings by Ford Madox Brown in the Great Hall of Manchester Town Hall and are based on the history of Manchester. Following the success of Brown's painting Work he was commissioned to paint six murals for its Great Hall. Another six murals were to be completed by Frederic Shields who later withdrew, leaving Brown to complete all twelve works. The murals were begun in 1879, towards the end of Brown's career, but were not completed until 1893, the year he died. During this period he moved from London to Manchester with his family, first living in Crumpsall and then Victoria Park. The murals form part of the decoration of the Great Hall, the central room designed by Alfred Waterhouse.[1] On entering the hall, six murals are on the left hand wall and six on the right, progressing chronologically from the left wall nearest the entrance to the right wall opposite, repeating the basic structure of the scheme of William Bell Scott's murals on the history of Northumbria in Wallington Hall."

Address

Manchester Town Hall, Manchester M2

Email

https://www.manchester.gov.uk/contactus

Phone

Website

https://www.manchester.gov.uk/townhall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Town_Hall

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