Manchester City takes pride in a striking collection of architectural buildings featuring Victorian baths to modern skyscrapers. Formerly known as ‘Cottonopolis’, Manchester City had a well-established cotton industry along with trade. The wealth produced from the cotton mills, allowed Manchester city to become one of the few urban centers in the late 19th century. This city lying North-West to London may soon overtake the capital city, London as the biggest city in the UK. Sure, this city is also present in the hearts of millions of Manchester city FC fans, who probably can recognize the stadium of Old Trafford in the first glance. What more has the city got to offer?
1. Manchester Town Hall
This late 18th-century Victorian neo-Gothic building retains all of its historic charms and features a clock tower holding the Great Abel clock bell at 280 feet. The structure showcases a fireproof combination of wrought-iron beams and concrete.
2. Manchester Cathedral
Manchester cathedral on Victoria Street in the city center is a Gothic-style structure. The cathedral is built using three types of stones. The dark purple Collyhurst Sandstone used to line the walls and internal piers. The nave roof brackets are supported by fourteen angel sculptures, each playing an instrument from late medieval times.
3. Manchester Central Library
The building inspired by the Pantheon takes the form of a rotunda with a two-story entrance portico. The prized possession is the Shakespeare Hall, which is an ornate hall with large stained glass windows. The central window designed by Robert Anning bell depicts the scenes from Shakespeare’s plays.
4. Victoria baths
This prestigious bath complex was designed by Henry Price, Manchester’s first architect. The bath complex provided facilities for both essential and leisure purposes housing three Olympic sized pools. The ridge of the central roof is made transparent to allow ample light to fall into space below.
5. John Rylands library
John Rylands library screams the late-Victorian neo-Gothic style of architecture. The design of the main reading room with bookshelves filled with books and manuscripts and the large stained glass windows forms a spectacular view. The structure consists of an internal steel-framed structure lined with Cumbrian sandstone.
6. Bridgewater hall
The superstructure hovers above the ground with the help of 280 giant springs to provide the perfect acoustics for the city’s leading concert center. The walls of this giant solid mass are made using deep red sandstone with aluminum and glass cladding.
7. Whitworth Art Gallery
The glass façade reflects the light inside revealing the artworks kept inside. The lush green lawn around makes sunset at Whitworth art gallery especially magical. Behind the glass, the façade is a layer of rustic brick arches holding the café space.
8.Imperial war museum
This contemporary museum designed by Daniel Libeskind holds a concept of a globe shattered into three fragments and then reassembled. The three fragments represent Earth, air, and water. The museum floor represents the Earth, the conflict realm. The air shard helps in creating a dramatic entry into the building. The platform overlooking the canal forms the water shard.
9. People’s history museum
The new extension to the People’s history museum takes the form of a five-story dramatic building marking its presence in the city center. The ground level consents a deep peek into the building. The ground floor also holds activity and interest at street level. The galleries above proudly wield two-layer climate control.
10. Chetham’s library
This 400-year-old library holds the oldest public collection of books in England. Established in 1653, this library takes you back a few centuries with its rustic wooden interiors and magnificent arches spanning across the library.
11. Calatrava’s trinity bridge
A pedestrian bridge forms a natural extension to the Manchester regional centre. The footbridge is the first pedestrian bridge crossing river Irwell. The 41-meter pylon at the centre sways towards the Salford side, with the suspended cables hanging from it. The suspended cables support the three-way pathway.
12. Beetham tower
Beetham Tower is the highest skyscraper in Manchester. It is visible from every route as an attractive destination at the south end of the city centre. The building consists of restaurants and bars on the lower floors and residential on the upper floors.
13. Manchester Civil Justice Centre
The Manchester civil justice centre has two elevations created out of solids and voids. The concept behind the openings symbolizing the openness of the judicial system. The elevation showcases a very strong Chemistry between light and shadows, and depth and complexity.
14. Chips Manchester
Designed by Alsop Architects, Chips is an 8 story residential building. The concept for Chips is three fat chips stacked on top of each other. Each chip is covered with letters and words to tell the story of the neighbourhood. The façade is composed of three parts, which is a fusion of varying sized windows.
15. Urbis
The Urbis designed to house the National Football Museum is a six-story building with a unique sloping roof. The glass façade done using 2200 glass panes, creates an interesting edge to the city center. The Urbis highlights the movement of modern architecture in Manchester.
