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Monday, 28th July 2003

Architects and buildings

The Bridgewater Hall with GMEX in the background

Below is a list of some of the main architects who have worked in the city and some of their buildings. Where categorisable, the style of building has been included after the entry. Older buildings where there are no recorded architect have been omitted. For further reading try Manchester by Clare Hartwell, an updated and very readable book from the Pevsner Architectural Guides, Penguin, £9.99, and Manchester: An Architectural History by John Parkinson-Bailey published by Manchester University Press, £20.

James Wyatt, Heaton Hall (1770s), elegant classicism with Robert Adam-like detailing. Richard Lane, Salford Old Town Hall (1831) off Chapel Street, Chorlton on Medlock Town Hall (1831) at All Saints, now part of the Metropolitan University, and the Friends' Meeting House (1830), Mount Street - Grecian. Thomas Harrison, Portico Library (1806), Mosley Street - Grecian again.

Manchester Art Gallery

Charles Barry, City Art Gallery (1835), formerly Manchester Royal Institution - Grecian, Stand Church (1822), Whitefield - Gothic, The Athenaeum (1837), Princess Street, now part of the Art Gallery - Italian Renaissance. C.R. Cockerell's sturdy Bank of England (1846), now offices on King Street, very free and personal Grecian building. Edward Walters, Brown's Warehouse (1851), Portland Street, The Free Trade Hall (1856), Peter Street, The Royal Bank of Scotland (1860), Mosely Street - Renaissance palazzo style. J.E. Gregan, Heywood's Bank and Manager's Office (1848), now Royal Bank of Scotland, St Ann's Street and the Mechanics Institute (1854), now the archive of the National Museum of Labour History, Princess Street - also palazzo style. Travis and Magnall, Watts Warehouse (1858), now the Britannia Hotel, the greatest of the cotton warehouses, a cornucopia of architectural styles including Italian, French, Elizabethan and even Egyptian motifs.

Manchester Town Hall

Alfred Waterhouse, Manchester Town Hall (1877), Strangeways, now Manchester Prison (1868), and the University (1887) - all Gothic. Later in his career he started the Refuge Assurance Building (1891-1912), now the Palace Hotel, Oxford Road, in a free Italianate style, it was largely completed by his son, Paul.

Thomas Worthington's Jubilee Fountain in Albert Square

Thomas Worthington, Albert Memorial (1862), the Jubilee Fountain (1897), the Memorial Hall (1866), now the Square Albert pub, Police Court (1875), Minshull Street, now Crown Courts - all Gothic.

Royal Exchange theatre

Edward Salomans, the Reform Club (1870/1) - Venetian Gothic, Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue (1874), now the Jewish Museum, Cheetham Hill Road - Moorish. Basil Chamneys, John Rylands Library (1900) - Gothic. Bradshaw, Gass and Hope, the Royal Exchange (1921), Cross Street - Classical. Charles Trubshaw, the Midland Hotel (1903), Peter Street. Charles Heathcote, the Eagle Star Building (1911), Cross Street, Lloyd's Bank (1915), King Street, and Parrs Bank (1902), York Street, (now the Athenaeum) - Edwardian Baroque. Harry S Fairhurst, Lancaster House and India House (both 1906), Whitworth Street, Bridgewater House (1912), Whitworth Street - eclectic Renaissance meets Baroque, Ship Canal House (1927) - Classical, Lee House (1931) - International Modern meets Art Deco. Edwin Lutyens, the Midland Bank (1929), King Street, now HSBC.

The Belle Epoque, Knutsford - Harding Watts eccentric architecture

Outside the city centre Edgar Wood and J.H. Sellars in the early part of the C20 moved from Arts and Crafts, through a proto-Expressionism to the International Modern in their buildings. Their work can be best viewed in the suburb town of Middleton, or at the First Church of Christ, Scientist (1903), Daisy Bank Road in Victoria Park, now Executive Business Systems. Similarly original is the eccentric but delightful Mediterranean based work of Richard Harding Watt in Knutsford.

Central Library

Vincent Harris, the Central Library (1934) - Classical, the Town Hall Extension (1938). J.W. Beaumont, Kendals Department Store (1939), now offices, 7 Great Ancoats Street. G.S. Hay, Burnet, Tait and Partners, the Cooperative Movement's complex on Miller Street including New Century House and the soaring 25 storey CIS Tower (1962). L.C. Howitt, Hollings Colllege, Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield (1960), Crown Court (1962), Crown Square. Covell, Matthews and Partners, The Piccadilly Buildings (1965). Casson, Conder and Partners, National Westminster Bank (1969), now offices and shops, King Street. Wilson and Womersely, the Arndale Centre (1972-1980).

Urbis

Recent architectural work of note includes much by local design practices. Building Design Partnership, Marks and Spencer Store, Market Street/Cross Street. Stephenson Bell, 15 Quay Street, Eastgate refurbishment, Castlefield, G-Mex Conference Centre. OMI, Martinscroft Housing, Boundary Lane, Hulme, Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, Peter Street, dukes 92, Castle Street. Hodder Associates, Centenary Building, Salford University, Marks and Spencer bridge, Cross Street. Mills Beaumont Leavy Channon, Siemens Building, Princess Parkway, West Didsbury, Homes for Change, Chichester Road, Hulme, Manchester Metropolitan University Library, Aytoun Street. Ian Simpson Architects, masterplan for redevelopment of the city centre, Merchants Warehouse refurbishment, Castle Street, Castlefield, Manchester Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry refurbishment and rebuild, Urbis, Corporation Street, No. 1 Deansgate.

The Bridgewater Hall

Recent non-local designers and work includes Nicholas Thompson, RHWL, The Bridgewater Hall. Michael Hopkins, Manchester Art Gallery Extension. Santiago Calatrava, Trinity Bridge, off St Mary's Parsonage.

Imperial War Museum

Daniel Libeskind, Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford. Tadao Ando, Piccadilly Gardens Pavilion.

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