Manchester Modern Architecture Walk

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - Manchester Modern Architecture Walk If you walk the streets of Manchester, you will notice many different buildings featuring a variety of architectural styles. To some, the city may appear dominated by old architecture, however, there are some buildings that are quite modern. If you are willing to discover the modern side of Manchester, take this tour. Guide Location: England» Manchester # of Attractions: 7 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 3.4 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "Manchester Map and Walks" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Manchester Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Manchester. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Manchester Civil Justice Centre B) Beetham Tower C) Bridgewater Hall D) Manchester Peter House E) Manchester City Tower F) The Triangle G) Manchester Evening News Arena Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - A) Manchester Civil Justice Centre The Manchester Civil Justice Centre was the largest civil court to be built since the Royal Courts of Justice in the United Kingdom. It is known for its distinctive architecture and has been nicknamed the filing cabinet due to its distinctive cantilever floors at the end of the building. The building was nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2007 and has been widely praised. The Civil Justice Centre was constructed between 2003 and 2007 in the Spinningfields district to the west of Deansgate. The western side of the 80 meters (260 ft), 17-storey building faces the River Irwell, which marks the border between Manchester and Salford. It is currently the joint sixth tallest building in Manchester City Centre. Its entrance opens onto Bridge Street. The tower was designed by Australian architects Denton Corker Marshall with engineers Mott MacDonald following an architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions. The building is notable for the "fingers" at each end that are cantilevered over the lower levels. On the western facade is an 11,000-square-meter (120,000 sq ft) suspended glass wall, the largest in Europe. It is the first major court complex in Britain since George Edmund Street's Royal Courts of Justice in London's Strand, completed in Government and justice departments housed at the building have a 35 year lease on the building which was future proofed by the developers as an office in the case of a lease exchange. Address: Gartside Street, Manchester, United Kingdom Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and And-Rew B) Beetham Tower (must see) Beetham Tower is currently the tallest building in Manchester, and one of the city s most dynamic modern buildings. Completed in 2006, the tower is over 550 feet tall, and is the tallest building in the UK outside of London. In addition, it is the tallest building in the UK that is entirely residential. The lower 22 floors are taken up by a luxury Hilton Hotel. Above this point, the building cantilevers, creating a visible step as the floors above become wider. On the 23rd floor, the hotel s Sky Bar allows customers to view the city through the venue s glass floor. The upper floors are divided into luxury apartments. The building s architect, Ian Simpson, owns the penthouse suite, which Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - covers the top two floors and contains an indoor garden. From the higher floors, Mount Snowdon in Wales is visible on a clear day. Other notable residents of the tower include Gary & Phil Neville, the sibling footballers that previously played together for England & Manchester United. One of the slenderest skyscrapers ever constructed, the building is 10 times higher than it is wide, a design feature forced by the high cost of land at its Deansgate location. The building has become a symbol of modern Manchester, and a sister project is on the cards, to be constructed on the south bank of the Thames in London. Address: Deansgate, Manchester, United Kingdom Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and padsbrother C) Bridgewater Hall Bridgewater Hall is another of Manchester s impressive array of esteemed modern concert halls. The venue opened in 1996 at the southern end of the city centre, directly opposite Manchester Central. Bridgewater Hall is the city s premier venue for classical performances, and was constructed as a replacement for the Free Trade Hall, which was damaged by German bombs in World War 2 and never returned to its former glory. Local architects Renton Howard Wood Levin designed the building, which aimed to create a perfect acoustic environment for classical recitals. The hall was built on noise reducing foundations, which cut out noise from nearby traffic and tram services. The architects also created a basin from the nearby Rochdale canal to give the hall a waterside location. Bridgewater Hall cost 42 million pounds to build, but has proved worthy of the expense, hosting up to 250 classical performances each year. Bridgewater Hall is the home of Manchester s renowned Halle orchestra, and Manchester Boys Choir. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra also hold regular recitals at the hall. Bridgewater Hall is surrounded by bars, restaurants and galleries in an artistic corner of the city close to Deansgate railway station, and is one of the standout successes of the city s recent regeneration plans. Address: Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, United Kingdom Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Alan Stanton Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - D) Manchester Peter House A modern mix of glass, iron and concrete - Peter House - rises over the streets of Manchester. Situated on Oxford Street, this is another architectural marvel of the city. An enormous building with beautiful views over Barbirolli Square and St. Peter s Square, it features ultramodern office space with professional staff service. This is one of Manchester s main business centers. Address: Oxford Street, Manchester, United Kingdom Image Courtesy of Flickr and EG Focus E) Manchester City Tower (must see) One of Manchester s many modern attractions, City Tower is a focal point of the city s commercial district, standing 30 stories high next to the transport hub of Piccadilly Gardens, at the eastern end of the city centre. The tower was originally built in the 1960s, an architectural era that created little to cherish in British cities. Until recently, the building had become run-down and under-used, but has become a towering symbol of Mancunian regeneration. Purchased by local developers and redesigned by local architects Covell, Matthews & Partners, the building was given a modern face lift, both inside and out. New glass panels were added to the front and sides of the building, with large screens fitted close to ground level. A new reception area was added on the ground floor, and the modernised tower saw its plentiful office space begin to fill up again. City Tower, known as Sunley House until the recent refurbishment, is currently Manchester s 3rd tallest building, and stands out amongst the Victorian buildings that surround it, when viewed from Piccadilly Gardens. Increased development in Manchester mean that the tower will become less prominent in future years, as further skyscrapers are added to the city s burgeoning skyline. Address: Mosley street, Manchester, United Kingdom Image Courtesy of Flickr and Mikey Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - F) The Triangle The Triangle Shopping Centre is housed in an Edwardian building on Exchange Square, in Manchester s regenerated Millennium Quarter. There has been a commercial centre standing on this spot since 1837, when the first trading floor opened. The triangular building that contains the shopping centre was built in 1897, and opened its doors as a Corn Exchange in Like the nearby Royal Exchange, the building was a thriving centre for the trading of goods in Depression era England, and contributed to Manchester s growth as the industrial and commercial centre of the region. After World War 2, the building fell into disuse, before becoming a bohemian flea market in the 1970s. The building became well known for its alternative stores selling clothes and jewellery, as well as a range of cafes. Bomb damage from the IRA blast in 1996 led to extensive regeneration, and caused a great number of these shops and stalls to be relocated. Now refitted with a modern interior inside the listed Edwardian frontage, the building is home to a number of designer outlets. Famous brands like Adidas, Muji, O Neill and Jigsaw have stores within the centre, and it is also home to local radio station Galaxy Manchester. Operation hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 9 am - 6 pm; Monday: 11 am - 5 pm; Friday: 10 am - 8 pm Address: Cathedral street, Manchester, United Kingdom Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Lmno G) Manchester Evening News Arena (must see) Completed in 1995 and attached to the city s Victoria rail station, Manchester Arena is not only the city s largest concert venue, but one of the most popular indoor arenas in the entire world. The largest indoor arena in Europe, Manchester Arena has a capacity of 21,000. A highly ambitious venture given Manchester s relatively small population compared to some other European cities, the arena was built as a centrepiece to the city s Olympic Games bids in 1996 and Unfortunately, the city lost out on both occasions, but was rewarded by earning the right to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - Manchester Arena hosted several events during the games, and has been a popular sporting venue throughout its history. The arena has hosted basketball, ice hockey and even swimming, and has hosted boxing matches featuring local heroes Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan. The venue attracted more visitors in 2007 than any other indoor arena on the planet and is still one of the five most popular arenas in the world. Formerly known as Manchester Evening News Arena until last year, the venue is also well known for hosting pop stars like Pink, Madonna and Rihanna, as well as live stand up comedy. Local comedian Peter Kay, who once worked as a steward at the venue, played 35 sold out shows at the venue in Address: 21 Hunts Bank, Manchester, United Kingdom Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Pit-yacker Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -