Carmody Groarke revives Victorian vaulted space for Manchester museum
Architects Carmody Groarke revive a vast, brick space for the flexible new Special Exhibitions Gallery at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester
A flexible gallery has just been completed as part of the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. The project, spanning an impressive 725 sq m and forming the institution's new Special Exhibitions Gallery, has been designed by London-based architects Carmody Groarke.
The new cultural space occupies a majestic Grade II-listed structure, dating back to the 1880s. Housed within a part of the museum's network of Victorian railway viaducts called New Warehouse, the design embraces the original architecture's historical character. High vaulted ceilings (at 5m tall) define the structure, which is largely made of cast iron and terracotta-coloured Victorian brick.
Clever additions, such as light, full-height, fibre-glass panelled walls at the entrance area (which have been coloured to match the period brick walls), bring the interior into the 21st century without overpowering the interior's original character. There is step-free access for visitors, while sustainability has been addressed through design decisions to reduce life-cycle costing, light pollution and carbon emissions.
‘We were inspired by the powerful presence and character of the Victorian engineering and architecture when designing the new Special Exhibitions Gallery,' says studio director Andy Groarke. ‘By counterpointing the carefully restored historic building fabric with bold new materials, our architectural interventions reframe and repurpose the already wonderful spaces within the New Warehouse as a backdrop for exhibitions and visitor welcome.'
The project is part of the Manchester museum's long-term refresh, aimed at future-proofing the much loved cultural institution and pairing great design with sustainability. This is only the grand scheme's first phase, with more to follow in the coming years. The new gallery is currently closed due to pandemic restrictions but it is ready to throw open its doors as soon as these are lifted.
INFORMATION
carmodygroarke.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Los Angeles’ best fine-dining restaurants
LA boasts a creative food scene driven by some of the world’s most innovative chefs. Browse the Wallpaper* guide to the city’s best fine-dining restaurants
By Kevin EG Perry Published
-
First look at Maison 3, an eclectic new Parisian bar for sleepless nights
Maison 3 is an enigmatic space with a sensual atmosphere brought to life by the French studio Les Beaux Jours Architectures
By Fabienne Dupuis Published
-
Chanel heads to Hangzhou, China for a poetic Métiers d’Art 2025 show
This evening in China (3 December 2024), Chanel travelled to Hangzhou’s much-mythologised West Lake, a Unesco World Heritage site, for a show that highlighted the extraordinary craft of the house’s artisans
By Jack Moss Published
-
From activism and capitalism to club culture and subculture, a new exhibition offers a snapshot of 1980s Britain
The turbulence of a colourful decade, as seen through the lens of a diverse community of photographers, collectives and publications, is on show at Tate Britain until May 2025
By Anne Soward Published
-
The Turner Prize 2024 opens at Tate Britain
The Turner Prize 2024 shortlisted artists are Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Peggy Guggenheim: ‘My motto was “Buy a picture a day” and I lived up to it’
Five years spent at her Sussex country retreat inspired Peggy Guggenheim to reframe her future, kickstarting one of the most thrilling modern-art collections in history
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Please do touch the art: enter R.I.P. Germain’s underground world in Liverpool
R.I.P. Germain’s ‘After GOD, Dudus Comes Next!’ is an immersive installation at FACT Liverpool
By Will Jennings Published
-
‘Regeneration and repair is a really important part of how I work’: Bharti Kher at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Bharti Kher unveils the largest UK museum exhibition of her career at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
By Will Jennings Published
-
‘Mental health, motherhood and class’: Hannah Perry’s dynamic installation at Baltic
Hannah Perry's exhibition ’Manual Labour’ is on show at Baltic in Gateshead, UK, a five-part installation drawing parallels between motherhood and factory work
By Emily Steer Published
-
Francis Alÿs plots child play around the world at the Barbican
In Francis Alÿs' exhibition ‘Ricochets’ at London’s Barbican, the artist explores the universality of play, even in challenging situations
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
At Glastonbury’s Shangri-La, activism and innovation meet
Glastonbury’s south-east corner is known for its after-dark entertainment but by day, there is a different story to tell
By Rhian Daly Published