I visited the renovated Rochdale Town Hall this summer and was very impressed but Manchester's town hall is on a much,much bigger scale so I anticipate that when finished it will be a significant tourist attraction to add to Manchester's existing ones.
I think you're right about tourists being interested. I moved to Manchester from New Zealand in 2018 with a friend and both of us were gutted when we heard it would be at least 5 years before we could visit this building. As tourists (of sorts, I mean I'm still here) it was absolutely the kind of thing we were interested in. Anything old and grand!
Love this piece- best kind of local journalism. I have been dying to know what’s going on behind all those screens and was already really looking forward to the opening (and finally being able to show my children this magnificent building) before reading this- now more so. sounds like the wait will be worth it!
This is a project like no other. Paul is a client like no other, with an incredible MCC wider team alongside him. Forget the towers - this is the greatest construction project Manchester will see this decade, and perhaps a few to come!
The 000 digit million of pounds figure does seem to leave a taste in ones mouth particularly given how run down some areas of the city are but as we have read within a decade the building would likely have become derelict itself without the works. Can't wait for it to reopen to the public it's going to be glorious.
A great article. Building work apart, what they have planned for the restoration of the organ will create wonder in the organ and wider musical world.
Interestingly, the core of the town hall organ was built by the same firm that built the core of the organ in Notre Dame de Paris, and that will roar back into life in December.
Wonderful article Jack. My first experience of the town hall was for a friend's bar mitzvah back in the early 90s. Compared to the very 70s Civic Centre in my home town of Wolverhampton, it seemed impossibly grand. But also quirky - as evidenced by some of the anecdotes in your article. Though it does seem like an incredible amount of money, personally I'm all for the restoration. We should preserve our grand buildings, especially if they can be made to fulfil the objective of drawing people in.
Can't wait to get back into the Town Hall. I've visited many times and hoping to see more of the magnificent interior on a tour. I remember the bee motif used on the floors and those amazing murals.
I know I'm late to the party, but I was struck by this part of the article "Preparatory works were all “desktop surveys”, essentially guys with clipboards squinting up at fixtures and stonework. City centre flight restrictions meant they couldn’t really use drones, so surveyors stood on nearby buildings with binoculars."
It's not as though the preparatory works were completed in the last century, the use of drones has been around for years, and I simply don't buy that city centre flight restrictions prevented them from using drones! This is just a poor excuse for the project planners failing to do adequate preparatory investigative work on the extent of issues with the roof structures. Nuff said, rant over!
Where does the money come from? Perhaps the total council tax receipts for the tens of thousands of new flats built over the duration of the project will just about cover the cost. Perhaps 25,000 new flats x 1500 per flat x 10 years = £375 million! The numbers I’ve guessed, but it’s definitely the right ballpark!
and direct from the government. It's capital funding not revenue funding. MCC desperately needs revenue funding. Letting the town hall become derelict doesn't solve that.
I visited the renovated Rochdale Town Hall this summer and was very impressed but Manchester's town hall is on a much,much bigger scale so I anticipate that when finished it will be a significant tourist attraction to add to Manchester's existing ones.
I think you're right about tourists being interested. I moved to Manchester from New Zealand in 2018 with a friend and both of us were gutted when we heard it would be at least 5 years before we could visit this building. As tourists (of sorts, I mean I'm still here) it was absolutely the kind of thing we were interested in. Anything old and grand!
I visited Rochdale TH recently too. I thought it was magnificent.
Love this piece- best kind of local journalism. I have been dying to know what’s going on behind all those screens and was already really looking forward to the opening (and finally being able to show my children this magnificent building) before reading this- now more so. sounds like the wait will be worth it!
This is a project like no other. Paul is a client like no other, with an incredible MCC wider team alongside him. Forget the towers - this is the greatest construction project Manchester will see this decade, and perhaps a few to come!
A thoroughly interesting and informative read.
The 000 digit million of pounds figure does seem to leave a taste in ones mouth particularly given how run down some areas of the city are but as we have read within a decade the building would likely have become derelict itself without the works. Can't wait for it to reopen to the public it's going to be glorious.
A great article. Building work apart, what they have planned for the restoration of the organ will create wonder in the organ and wider musical world.
Interestingly, the core of the town hall organ was built by the same firm that built the core of the organ in Notre Dame de Paris, and that will roar back into life in December.
In every respect Manchester is a true World City!
Wonderful article Jack. My first experience of the town hall was for a friend's bar mitzvah back in the early 90s. Compared to the very 70s Civic Centre in my home town of Wolverhampton, it seemed impossibly grand. But also quirky - as evidenced by some of the anecdotes in your article. Though it does seem like an incredible amount of money, personally I'm all for the restoration. We should preserve our grand buildings, especially if they can be made to fulfil the objective of drawing people in.
This was an interesting read. But lazy writing to imply that only ‘guys’ are capable of surveying a building.
Can't wait to get back into the Town Hall. I've visited many times and hoping to see more of the magnificent interior on a tour. I remember the bee motif used on the floors and those amazing murals.
Great read. I for one will certainly be looking forward to revisiting the building when it is fully restored.
I know I'm late to the party, but I was struck by this part of the article "Preparatory works were all “desktop surveys”, essentially guys with clipboards squinting up at fixtures and stonework. City centre flight restrictions meant they couldn’t really use drones, so surveyors stood on nearby buildings with binoculars."
It's not as though the preparatory works were completed in the last century, the use of drones has been around for years, and I simply don't buy that city centre flight restrictions prevented them from using drones! This is just a poor excuse for the project planners failing to do adequate preparatory investigative work on the extent of issues with the roof structures. Nuff said, rant over!
Heart-warming to read that we are able to spend all that cash whilst we have 7,407 homeless !!
Where does the money come from? Perhaps the total council tax receipts for the tens of thousands of new flats built over the duration of the project will just about cover the cost. Perhaps 25,000 new flats x 1500 per flat x 10 years = £375 million! The numbers I’ve guessed, but it’s definitely the right ballpark!
Loans and reserves!
and direct from the government. It's capital funding not revenue funding. MCC desperately needs revenue funding. Letting the town hall become derelict doesn't solve that.