Northwest architecture by emma cooper

ModernArchitect

ODERN

THE NORTHWEST ARCHITECT

CONTENTS

TheNorthWestArchitect

This issue of The North West Architect comes with remarkable high quality photography

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

Photographer Kam Tom Yip

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

well as being supplied cut to size, in order to meet a tight build schedule in time for the new school year’. Danny continues: ‘Our panels have been used extensively in modern educational buildings and Park Brow Primary School is an excellent example of the way in which the different colours can be used to create a unique design. We worked with the contractor to produce bespoke panels which met the client’s precise requirements for sustainability, performance and aesthetics’. Robert Brym, architect for 2020 Liverpool, said: ‘The facade of the building is given interest and aesthetics through the use of different materials, changes in depth and colours and contrast between scale, mass and void, orientation and transparency. Within the designated budget, the design solutions are of the highest quality in being attractive, distinctive and inspirational to all users of the facilities’. The panels were manufactured with either a powder coated Aluminium or Trespa face which is vacuum bonded to a core of Styrofoam. Composite panels are typically specified when aesthetic considerations are paramount. Panel Systems’ bespoke service means that our panels can be supplied to specific sizes and edge details to suit individual glazing systems and achieve U values as low as 0.10 W/m2K.

The panels were specified for the colourful, contemporary facade of Park Brow Community Primary School in Kirkby, designed by 2020 Liverpool for Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Aluminium and Trespa faced panels from Panel Systems for Park Brow Primary School. The 2,884 sq m building will also act as a hub for family learning and other activities to benefit the local community. The school, which has 420 pupils, plus 52 nursery places, opened in September 2011. Dark Grey aluminium infill panels formed part of a curtain walling systems on the three main elevations of the building, as a contrast to Trespa cladding panels, which were specified in Anthracite Grey and contrasting warm, attractive hues of Gold Yellow and Orange Red with a matt finish. The aim was to create a visually engaging building appropriate to an educational setting, by providing a contrast of texture and colour. The infill panels achieve a U-value of 0.35 W/ m2K and the building has been designed to achieve a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating.

Aluminium and Trespa faced panels from Panel Systems for Park Brow Primary School Park Brow Primary School has been designed to minimise carbon emissions by using technologies including digitally controlled lighting and a biomass boiler. The building has also been orientated to maximise the use of natural daylight. Aluglaze from Panel Systems has been supplied to a wide variety of commercial, educational and healthcare environments. Panel Systems manufactures a full range of bespoke composite panels that are used to create aesthetically striking and thermally efficient buildings.

Danny Phelan, Sales Manager for Panel Systems, said: ‘Our composite panels were the perfect choice for this project as their assured thermal performance means they help to create low carbon buildings suitable for the 21st Century. The decorative Trespa face in three colours adds visual interest to the building. The panels had to meet exacting aesthetic and environmental credentials, as 6

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

MOSI Great Western Warehouse Manchester

MOSI showcase the stories of Manchester’s greatest innovations and the people who created them. It is Manchester’s most popular museum, attracting up to 800,000 visitors every year, and is built on the site of the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station. The Great Western Warehouse is the entry point to the museum, which is housed in five listed buildings across a large site. Previous projects had left a cluttered and confussed first impression to visitors; with a mixture of uses, and the building dominated by large ramps rising through a central atrium. 10

The main aims of the project were to use the architecture of the building, and its spaces, to showcase and introduce the MOSI story; to engage and welsome visitors to the museum. The ramps have been removed and two new glazed stair cores built to the outside of the building. All accomodation has been rationalised with a new ground floor gallery, extended conference facilities and independant education suite on the second. The architectural character of the building has been revealed, and as an integral part of the exhibition design and commercial spaces, the Great Westurn Warehouse becomes part of the museum offer.

ModernArchitect

Many of the apartments face south and all have floor to ceiling glass walls in living rooms and bedrooms. Air conditioning was essential and using heat pumps has produced savings from the fact that no other heating system is required. Hot water is available from floor by floor boilers and electric towel rails are installed in the bathrooms.

TheNorthWestArchitect

The developer and the consulting engineers saw that there was a clear opportunity to benefit from the energy saving advantages of heat recovery, that Toshiba VRF air conditioning can also provide, as not all of the building would need equal amounts of cooling or heating at the same time. The building has an orientation that emphasizes this. The Toshiba systems have cooling capacities of 33.5 kW and heating capacities up to 35.5 kW. Each apartment has a sensor that has been very carefully sited to ensure the mean temperature is picked up – in this way they act like a typical residential thermostat. In the apartments air distribution is via ceiling grilles from ducted indoor units. Electricity is individually metered to each apartment enabling separate billing for the use of the ac system.

One of the ‘coolest’ new addresses on the Liverpool waterside, the 40 storey Beetham West Tower apartment block, is being kept cool by 17 R410A VRF SHRM heat recovery systems from Toshiba Air Conditioning, supplied by Toshiba Distributor for the North West CDL. Unusually, this large quantity of plant has not had to be sited on the roof – enabling that to be occupied by penthouses. The VRF ‘outdoor’ units are located ‘indoors’.

But the bills are expected to be satisfyingly small. The Toshiba units were selected for their low energy use and their reliability, which means low maintenance bills and longevity. The design of Toshiba VRF systems differs from others in the market in several ways. Of particular importance is the use of

The Tower has been completed to co-incide with Liverpool’s stint as European Capital of Culture. The installation demonstrates some of the useful problem-solving characteristics of Toshiba’s flagship heating and cooling product range.

Liverpool Tower has 34 floors of apartments

The scale of the work undertaken with VRF equipment just seems to get bigger and bigger. Here, 34 floors of apartments are being air conditioned by Toshiba systems. In the main, there are four 2-bed (duplex) apartments per floor. The remaining six floors house offices and a restaurant, the Skybar, which is also air conditioned by Toshiba. At 450 feet the tower is the tallest building in Liverpool. 12

sisted ventilation. In the ceiling of each plant room a two-stage fan is installed enabling extract to the storage plant room above. The fans have been sized to take account of the full operational air volume of the condenser.

twin rotary DC inverter controlled compressors. Most other systems rely on a second fixed speed compressor leading to greater energy wastage. Twin inverter control means that variable seasonal loads are coped with much more easily. Each compressor can operate down to 450 rpm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the lowest in the market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so part load operation uses minimal energy but still closely maintains the required temperature. These 12 HP machines utilize only a 20 Amp three phase supply as opposed to a more traditional 32 Amp supply. The use of a twin rotary compressor design also reduces vibration and ensures negligible sound transmission and very quiet operation, especially significant in the Tower at night.

The indoor location for the units was particularly attractive to the developer due to the aggressive external riverside atmosphere with its saline winds. The forced ventilation provided a further bonus as the local bin stores throughout the building also get ventilated at no additional cost. The intricate ventilation system design was the result of effective collaboration between the Toshiba projectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; team and consulting engineers Buro Happold. The mechanical and electrical contractors were A&B Engineering. The specialist air conditioning contractor was Protemp and the main contractor was Carillion Construction.

As noted, unusually, the Toshiba outdoor units have actually been sited indoors, in plant rooms on alternate floors, discharging into the plant rooms themselves with fan-as13

ModernArchitect

At 450 feet the tower is the tallest building in Liverpool.

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

People’s History Museum Manchester Manchester’s People’s History Museum’s unique collections track the development of democracy through the lives of the working people of Britain.

toric buildings. A new entrance next to a busy city centre artery leads into a generous new concourse area links the old and new areas of the museum. A new riverside restaraunt and terrace helps raise the public’s awareness of the museum. The upper level of the new extension house environmentally conditioned galleries for the permanent collection and a state of the art conversation studio. At its lowest level it provides a new BS5454 archive with a reading room overlooking the River Irwell.

Although boasting a world class collection the Museum’s split between two sites had neither helped its public profile ir its operation and management. Our job was to help the museum a striking new presence in the city. A piece of Manchester City Council owned land next to the museum’s occupation of an Edwardian hydraulic pumping station unlocked the potential for a landmark extension providing new Clad in COR-ten steel, the new extension galleries and front of house facilities and has been described as “a little miracle of allowing a sensitive restoration of the his- urban design” 17

TheNorthWestArchitect

Travis Street Substation, Manchester 18

ModernArchitect

NorthWestArchitect

£3.5m Lottery-Funded restoration success for MyPlace at C-RMZ Widnes C-RMZ, the new youth mega-club in Widnes has been extremely well received in a community with high levels of deprivation. ‘Myplace’ is a lottery-funded initiative by central government to deliver a world class youth facility throughout England and the establishment of C-RMZ, promoted by Halton Borough Council, realises that aim in a fine example of a listed 1930’s health centre.

ModernArchitect

‘Myplace’ has been refurbished, re-ordered and extended around a sports courtyard to create a generous, well-equipped community facility, securing the future of a fine public building. The building features fitness and sports facilities, club and chill out rooms, art and IT rooms, media suites including recording studios and a broadcast room, performance hall, sensory and therapy rooms and a training kitchen. Austin-Smith:Lord were commissioned through the Buying Solutions Framework for this project where Sustainability was high on the agenda for the young people, the local council and the design team. Developed with Best Practice procedures from design inception through to building completion in consultation with young people from the local community (Youth Design Team), the facility establishes a landmark for community pride and youth cohesion in the borough.

TheNorthWestArchitect

St John’s Primary School is an innovative three storey new build school situated in the heart of Blackpool town centre. This unique £3.9m project designed by Aedas was commisioned by Blackburn Diocese with funding from the department for children, Schools and Families through the Targeted Capital Fund. The 1,500m2 scheme includes a 16 place early years unit, facilities for community use and a 1FE primary school each accessed via seperate entrances. The unusual height and design works with the tight urban context maximising both space and light whilst providing a secure and safe environment for staff and pupils to enjoy. St John’s CE Primary school sets a new standard in the design of urban primary schools and shows exactly what can be achieved on a restrictive town centre site. The new school building works with its context maximising space through carefl structural design and incorporation of a large outdoor and indoor spaces offering spectacular views over Blackpool.

One of the most striking features of the building is the triple height stained glass panel designed by artist David Griffin and the pupils of St John’s CE Primary School, which is emblematic of the schools ethos and identity.

St John’s C.E. Primary School, Blackpool

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

In 2007, Austin-Smith:Lord was selected to design a £20m state-of-the-art faculty building for the departments of Sports Science and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). This project was delivered successfully in just over two years.

Awards: 2010 Silver Roses Design Award, Education/Project 2009 RIBA Shortlist

Located on a restricted site at the northern end of the Byrom Street campus, this development formed the first phase of a wider masterplan for the University’s Liverpool city centre campuses. Within this restricted site, 6,500sqm of accommodation was provided for a wide-range of purposes: specialist bio-mechanics laboratories, a 60 metre running track, environment chambers, general teaching laboratories, classrooms and staff offices.

ModernArchitect

Joe Connell, Director of Estates and Facilities Team at LJMU has said: “The University is delighted with The Tom Reilly Building. The design team produced an exceptional building and their dedication to the project meant that it was delivered in just over two years. Having already produced three RIBA Award winning buildings for LJMU, The Tom Reilly building now forms part of the successful partnership history we have with Austin-Smith: Lord”.

The Tom Reilly Building 25

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s City Tower 27

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

Client: Community 1st Oldham Contract value: ÂŁ10m Blue sky services: Architect Procurement: Design and build

TheNorthWestArchitect

Following World War II, the slow work of rebuilding Manchester began and the transition from warehouse to office blocks became ever more apparent as Manchester’s industrial prowess waned. The widely admired[12] Manchester Assize Courts became one of Britain’s ‘lost buildings’[13] had to be demolished in 1957 following unrepairable damage which was suffered during the Manchester Blitz. It has been said that few aesthetically memorable buildings were constructed in Manchester in the fifties and sixties,[14] but there were some which were grew into important landmarks for the city. The first major building to be constructed following the war was the unpretentious Granada Studios complex in 1954. Commissioned by Sidney Bernstein and designed by Ralph Tubbs, it would become home to Granada Television with the site centring around the Granada House. The studios notable feature was the lattice tower and the red, neon Granada TV signage in period font. The CIS Tower was opened in 1962, a 118m office block which became the tallest building in the United Kingdom. The tower would become home to The Co-operative Group and was designed to showcase Manchester and the Co-operative movement. The skyscraper was clad in photovoltaic cells in 2005.

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

The 1960s CIS Tower as it appeared pre-2006 The office tower building rises above a fivestorey podium block. It has a steel frame and glass curtain walls with metal window frames. Black vitreous enamel panels demarcate the floor levels. The building materials, glass, enamelled steel and aluminium, were chosen so that the building could remain clean in the polluted Manchester atmosphere. The towerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concrete service shaft, which rises above the office tower, has two bands of vents at the top and was clad in a mosaic made up of 14 million centimetresquare, grey tesserae designed to shimmer and sparkle. The projecting reinforced concrete service shaft houses lifts and emergency stairs. 33

The ground floor is set back behind six pillars. A green bronze-like, abstract mural sculpted by William George Mitchell made from fibreglass covers the entrance hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rear wall. The building has 700,000 square feet of floor area with clear open spaces on the office floors. Interiors were designed by Misha Black of the Design Research Unit. The executive areas are delineated by the use of teak and cherry wood veneers.

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

VICTORIAN

Manchester became the trading centre for cotton, a centre for railways,[9] warehouses[10] and banking.[11] A pered, new buildings representing Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standing and growing wealth went hand in hand. A promine of the Victorian era was neogothic design. Some of the finest neogothic buildings are in Manchester, includin Hall, Gorton Monastery, Manchester Assize Courts (demolished in the 1950s because of unrepairable damag Manchester Blitz) and John Rylands Library.

TheNorthWestArchitect

Manchester Town Hall, designed in a Gothic Revival architecture style was the most notable Victorian era bu 1877, the interior of the building has various statues as well as The Manchester Murals which were painted by

As Manchester prosent architectural style ng Manchester Town ge resulting from the

uilding. Completed in y Ford Madox Brown.

ModernArchitect

In 1838 Samuel Brooks, vice-chairman of the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) bought land at Hunt’s Bank close to the cathedral and presented it to the company for a station to replace the inconveniently located Manchester Oldham Road railway station opened by the company on 3 July 1839. The station was initially a long, low single-storey building designed by George Stephenson and completed by John Brogden on 1 January 1844. It was named Victoria by permission of Her Majesty. The long single platform handled M&LR trains to Leeds and elsewhere at its eastern end. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway extended its line from Ordsall, near the original Manchester Liverpool Road railway station, and its trains operated from Victoria’s western end from 4 May 1844. By the mid-1840s six railway companies operated from the station connecting Manchester to London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield. Victoria Station came to dominate the Long Millgate area and was one of the biggest passenger stations in Britain. Victoria was enlarged by William Dawes, who is responsible for most of the remaining facade, in 1909. The enlarged building was erected on land consecrated as a burial ground on 1 January 1815 by the Bishop of Chester; this land was acquired by the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1844. It was enlarged to 17 platforms. Wealthy commuters travelled from Blackpool and Southport rather faster than is possible today (e.g. 45 minutes from Southport in 1910, 67 today; and 65 minutes from Blackpool in 1910, 77 today) in specially-constructed club cars

TheNorthWestArchitect

Victoria Station Manchester

In Manchester, England is the city’s second largest mainline railway station and a Metrolink station, one of eight within the city zone. It is situated to the north of the city centre on Hunts Bank, close to Manchester Cathedral. The station serves destinations north and east of Manchester, with some trains to Liverpool, mostly on the original Manchester to Liverpool line. The line from Bury was converted to light-rail operation in the early 1990s when the Metrolink tram system was created, and the trams switch to on-street running once they emerge from Victoria Station. Current plans for Phase 3 of Metrolink involve the conversion of rail routes from Victoria to Rochdale via Oldham to light rail. Most trains calling at the station are operated by Northern Rail, except during engineering works, when some trains are diverted from Manchester Piccadilly. 38

hauled by express steam locomotives. These nonstop services were abandoned in the early 1960s. The Edwardian building has a 160 yards (146 m) facade, which carries an iron and glass canopy bearing the names of the original destinations served, and a tile mural depicting the routes of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which operated most of the trains from the station between 1847 and 1923, when it became one of the main constituents of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Canopies covered the waiting area for taxi cabs until they were damaged in the Provisional IRA 1996 bombing. They have been restored. The cast-iron train sheds behind the faรงade are 700 yards (640 m) long. Initially the station was approached by a wooden footbridge over the River Irk, which has subsequently disappeared beneath culverting alongside the cathedral. From 1884, Victoria Station was adjacent to Manchester Exchange Station, operated by the rival London and North Western Rail-

way, and, from 1929, a single passenger platform which linked the stations was the longest passenger platform in Europe at 2,194 feet (669 m). Exchange Station closed in 1969 and its services were transferred to Victoria. Its site opposite the cathedral is now a car park. In the early 1970s, as part of the Picc-Vic tunnel project, there were proposals to build an underground station, Victoria Low Level. The project was cancelled and subsequent rail improvements concentrated on surface projects and the introduction of light rail. Victoria is the main station for the Manchester Arena, which was joined to the station between 1992 and 1996 by means of a raft above the through rail platforms. The principal access to the Arena is via stairs on Hunts Bank and an entrance from the main station concourse. During construction of the arena, the station was reduced significantly in size. Most of its through tracks were removed, along with the former platforms 12--17, their overall roof and platform buildings.

ModernArchitect

Victoria is the main station for the Manchester Arena

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

Lime Street Gateway Liverpool The scheme will create an open and dramatic civic gateway with welcoming views of Liverpool’s skyline and the impressively fine architecture of Lime Street station. Spaces paved in york stone will form a series of plateau areas, striking a relationship between the new public realm and the simple expanse of St George’s Plateau. Primarily, these spaces will create ease of movement, allowing for the natural ebb and flow of inward and outward commuter travel patterns. Tiers of seating terraces alongside the station archway will offer great views for visitors and a sunny aspect for rest and relaxation. A wide upper terrace at the southern corner of the station shed has been provided. This has the potential for future use as a seating terrace for a new station café. The concrete mess on the front of Lime Street Station was one of the worst eyesores in the city. It was a badly executed, dreary, unimaginative waste of concrete that hadn’t aged well. Worse it was right in the heart of the city centre, covering up the face of one of the country’s great Victorian railway stations that is still a major gateway for visitors arriving in Liverpool. So when they finally started to pull it down I was really looking forward to seeing the new front. 42

ModernArchitect

of the baths. Much of the archives relate to ordinary peoples’ experiences and Barry is keen to impress the importance of this aspect of social history, with particular emphasis on maintaining the oral tradition of passing history from one generation to another by spoken word.

TheNorthWestArchitect

“Whereas most organisations involved in the preservation of sports facilities focus only on the records and achievements of celebrated sportsmen and women, we are interested in ordinary people and their experiences.” Upon walking through the main entrance of the baths you are struck immediately by its magnificence: brilliant emerald green tiles fired in Salford adorn the walls; floors covered by mosaic patterns; and luxurious fully ceramic banisters lead upstairs. It is little wonder that the building is Grade II listed. So it remains a matter of some mystery why to this day it has only been partially restored. Built in 1906 by the Council, it was the main swimming pool in Manchester for 86 years until its closure in 1993 when it was considered too expensive to keep running. Since then a dedicated group of volunteers – the Friends of Victoria Baths – have worked towards its restoration. As we talk about the origins of the baths, my guide puts to rest oft-repeated myths which portray Public Baths as a benevolent gift from philanthropists of the period. While this was a factor in their creation, there was also a degree of self-interest – namely, concerns of public health and hygiene.

Prior to last weekend’s local history fair, volunteers at Victoria Baths received the portrait of one of Longsight’s most famous sons – an Olympic swimmer who learnt his strokes in the Edwardian pools. Michael Pooler went along for viewing and took a tour around a building steeped in local history and sociological significance. Last wednesday saw the arrival – or rather the long-awaited return – of Rob Derbyshire to Victoria Baths, in the form of a portrait painted in 1948. Rob was the son of the first ever superintendent of the baths and won an Olympic gold medal as part of the GB water polo team in 1900, as well as later on taking them to the 1936 Games as trainer. Depicted proudly in a swimming suit bearing the insignia of Great Britain the portrait is a fitting tribute to a man who was once a feted star in this part of Manchester.

“In Manchester at the turn of the 20th Century the working and middle classes lived in greater proximity to one another. The wealthy were worried about diseases spreading from the lower class areas to their own and so the baths were built as part of a public health programme.”

My volunteer tour guide, Barry Johnson, tells me that the seated balconies which encircle the principal pool would be teeming full of supporters at water polo matches – back then a hugely popular sport.

“In this respect the baths are fascinating as they are rich in social and political history.”

“In those days Rob Derbyshire would have been a local hero, like Premier League stars today.” The first part of the tour consists of visiting the basement archives which house hundreds of documents and objects related to the baths such as trophies, swimming costumes and minutebooks of association meetings. It also boasts a large audiovisual collection with interviews from older local residents recounting their memories 44

A walk around Victoria Baths From this perspective the building is a case study in how the manipulation of public spaces has a subtle – but extremely powerful – effect of social control and segregation. The easing of gender segregation began a gradual process from 1914 onwards, however my guide tells me of how there is a growing demand for women only swims nowadays in particular from the Muslim community.

For even the engineering of the swimming pools tells uneasy truths about social stratification of the day and sheds light on the treatment of lower social classes – especially women. The pools were fed with water for many years by a nearby Artesian well, dug deep into the ground. Water would be pumped into the first class pool and, on entering its filtration system, would then be recycled first into the men’s second class and finally the ladies’. What this meant was men who could not afford the most expensive tariff would swim in increasingly dirty water while women were effectively treated as sub-citizens, permitted only to bathe in the muck of others. This is echoed in the decoration: while the first class entrance is one of breathtaking Edwardian elegance, the others are far less ornate and more functional.

The bathing habits of users is another factor indicative of prevailing living conditions of the early 20th century Manchester. On the day before the weekly change of the water, so-called ‘Dirty Day’ due to the rank state of the water, entrance was cheaper. These days were far busier, highlighting the paucity of disposable income of Mancunians and where priorities lay. Before the introduction of chlorine in water for reasons of hygiene, breakouts of infectious diseases caused the baths to be closed for reasons of public health. Equally, the existence of slum houses without basic wash facilities across Manchester accounts for the continuing use of individual cubicles with bathtubs until the early 1970s. Barry tells me an anecdote of a young man from the west coast of Ireland, a region marked by indigence, who had come to work as a labourer in England. He was thrilled by the facilities, commenting “you get your own bathtub; there’s a towel and everything!”

Such an arrangement would of course be unthinkable nowadays in our society where equality and eliminating discrimination are sacrosanct. But it requires no more than a quick examination of private member gyms’ facilities compared with decrepit public leisure centres to see how new forms of social division manifest and justify themselves. 45

ModernArchitect

The baths originally consisted of three pools: men’s first class, men’s second class and the ladies’ pool. While it is easy to attribute the gender separation to prevailing social cultural norms of the era, the distinction of quality – based upon the ability to pay – is revealing of social attitudes and how class played a defining role in society.

TheNorthWestArchitect

of £3.5m in 2003. It currently receives support from the Lottery, English Heritage and Manchester City Council. Nowadays the building is home to various activities: from exhibitions of up and coming artists, a performance space for secondary school amateur dramatics and the local history fair to being used as a scene for shooting of TV drama Life on Mars. So what does the future hold? As of today there is still no national swimming museum in Britain and the grandeur and history of the baths justifies its consideration as a potential site. But the existence of other, more modern swimming pools and the increasing popularity of private membership gyms pose an obstacle to funding.

Until then, volunteers will continue to service a grand building which offers a penetrating and stirring snap-shot of Mancunian society across a broad time-span.

That the baths hosted a broad spectrum of Manchester society from working class families to the upper echelons of business and even the criminal fraternity is symbolised by the oncelavish Turkish baths. Local legend has it that well-known gangsters would seal their deals in the hot dry heat, reserved for those who could afford the expense. The establishment was also pioneering in the domain of hydrotherapy, being the first municipal baths in Britain to have installed an ‘Aerotone’ in 1952. This device, consisting of a steel tank sunk into the floor in which springs of hot water were pumped, is similar to a modern-day Jacuzzi. It was used to rehabilitate and treat injuries; among its users at one point were the players and physio staff of football clubs Manchester United and Manchester City, many years before the explosion of revenues in football meant they could afford their own facilities. The ultimate goal of the Friends of the Baths is to restore the building to its former functional glory. A massive step was taken in this direction when it became the first project to win the BBC2 Restoration series which saw funding to the tune 47

ModernArchitect

“We are working with the Council to decide on a future use for the Baths, as well as improving access for the community. It is a fantastic building, rich in history, that deserves to be preserved and restored,” says Neil Bonner, the project manager.

This aptly illustrates how the two-fold nature of the function of the baths was played out along socio-economic lines. While the middle and upper classes – who largely had access to baths at home – used the baths as a source of leisure and recreation, for many families during industrial times it was a necessary amenity for hygiene.

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

NorthWestArchitect TheNorthWestArchitect

Albert Dock The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool, England. Designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, it was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world.

Liverpool has many attractions with large parks and impressive public buildings which reflect the city’s rich heritage. St. George’s Hall, Walker Art Gallery, Royal Liver Building, Albert Dock, Merseyside Maritime Museum and Tate Liverpool (a modern art gallery) are among the examples of the city’s splendid architecture.

Departs Albert Dock every day from 10.30am A Liverpool Dock Bus about to leave the Salthouse Dock and Enter Albert Dock

NorthWestArchitect ModernArchitect

Being the home The Beatles, Liverpool has many Aintreethat commemorate the story of the most successful band of all time. The Beatles Story is the only museum in the world that focuses entirely on the band. The Waterfront Region in Liverpool was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO, recognising the city for its outstanding values and role in development of trade. The city has recently been awarded as the European Capital of Culture 2008.

for the grant of a charter of incorporation under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, to constitute the town as a municipal borough. This would give it limited political autonomy via an elected town council, comprising a mayor, aldermen, and councillors, to oversee local affairs. The petition was successful and the charter was granted in September 1856. The newly formed Rochdale Corporation— the local authority for the Municipal Borough of Rochdale—suggested plans to build a town hall in which to conduct its business in May 1858. The site of an abandoned 17th-century house known as The Wood was proposed. Six months later, in April 1860, Rochdale Corporation arranged to buy the site on the outskirts of the town centre for £4,730 (£358,000 as of 2012).However, plans were shelved due to lengthy negotiations and increasing land prices. In January 1864 the scheme resumed with a new budget of £20,000 (£1,340,000 as of 2012). The wood and surrounding area were cleared, but it is unknown what became of the dispossessed; there was no legal requirement for the authorities to rehouse the former inhabitants. A design competition to find a “neat and elegant building” was held by the Rochdale Corporation, who offered the winning architect a prize of £100 (£7,400 as of 2012), and a Maltese cross souvenir. From the 27 entries received, William Henry Crossland’s was chosen. The Rochdale-born Radical and Liberal statesman John Bright laid the foundation stone on 31 March 1866. Construction was complete by 1871 although the cost had, by then, increased beyond expectations from the projected £40,000 to £160,000 (£11,040,000 as of 2012).

TheNorthWestArchitect

Rochdale Town Hall is a Victorian-era municipal building in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is “widely recognised as being one of the finest municipal buildings in the country” and is rated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The Town Hall functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and houses local government departments, including the borough’s civil registration office. Built in the Gothic Revival style at a cost of £160,000 (£11 million as of 2012), it was inaugurated for the governance of the Municipal Borough of Rochdale on 27 September 1871. The architect, William Henry Crossland, was the winner of a competition held in 1864 to design a new Town Hall. It had a 240-foot (73 m) clock tower topped by a wooden spire with a gilded statue of Saint George and the Dragon, both of which were destroyed by fire on 10 April 1883, leaving the building without a spire for four years. A new 190-foot (58 m) stone clock tower and spire in the style of Manchester Town Hall was designed by Alfred Waterhouse, and erected in 1888.

Built in the Gothic Revival style at a cost of £160,000. £11 million as of 2012

Art critic Nikolaus Pevsner described the building as possessing a “rare picturesque beauty”. Its stained glass windows are credited as “the finest modern examples of their kind”. The building came to the attention of Adolf Hitler, who was said to have admired it so much that he wished to ship the building, brick-by-brick, to Nazi Germany had the United Kingdom been defeated in the Second World War.

Although it is not fully understood how it came to his attention, Rochdale Town Hall was admired by Adolf Hitler. It has been suggested a visit by Hitler in 1912–13 while staying with his half-brother Alois Hitler, Jr. in Liverpool, or military intelligence on Rochdale, or information from Nazi sympathiser William Joyce (who had lived in Oldham), brought the building to his attention. Hitler admired the architecture so much that it is believed he wished to ship the building, brick-by-brick, to Nazi Germany had German-occupied Europe encompassed the United Kingdom. Rochdale was broadly avoided by German bombers during the Second World War.

Rochdale had developed into an increasingly large, populous, and prosperous urban mill town since the Industrial Revolution. Its newly built rail and canal network, and numerous factories, resulted in the town being “remarkable for many wealthy merchants”.[9] In January 1856 the electorate of the Rochdale constituency petitioned the Privy Council 52

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

William Brown Library

William Brown Street in Liverpool, England is a road that is remarkable for its concentration of public buildings. It is sometimes referred to as the “Cultural Quarter”

Originally known as Shaw’s Brow, a coaching road east from the city, it is named after William Brown, a local MP and philanthropist, who in 1860 donated land in the area for the building of a library and museum. This area gives its name as the William Brown Street conservation area.

Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral’s official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester. It has also variously been known locally as St Mary’s, Christ Church and, simply, t’owd church.

ModernArchitect

Although extensively refaced, restored and extended in the Victorian period, and then again following severe bomb damage in the 20th century, the main body of the Cathedral largely derives from the wardenship of James Stanley (warden 1485–1506), and is in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Stanley was also primarily responsible for commissioning the spectacular late medieval wooden furnishings, including the pulpitum, the choir stalls, and the nave roof supported by angels with gilded instruments. It is one of the Grade I listed buildings in Manchester. The Middle Ages A church dedicated to St Mary is recorded in the Domesday Survey, although the only surviving evidence from this period is a small carving of an angel with a scroll, preserved in the Cathedral nave; the Old English inscription on the stone translates as “into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit”. The Domesday Book entry for Manchester reads “the Church of St Mary and the Church of St Michael hold one carucate of land in Manchester exempt from all customary dues except tax”.

Construction of the predecessor church started in 1215 within the confines of the Baron’s Court beside the manor house on the site of Manchester Castle. The occupying lords of the manor were the Grelley family, and their coat of arms is still associated with the cathedral to this day. The Grelley family acted as stewards of the church, building and endowing the first chancery, the St. Nicholas Chancery. In 1311, for lack of Grelley heirs, the estate passed by marriage to the de la Warre family. The 14th century west tower and eastern Lady Chapel of this building were to be incorporated into the current structure (although little or no fabric of that date is still visible). In 1349 the St. Nicholas Chancery was endowed by the de Trafford family. The involvement of the de la Warre family was furthered in 1382 when Thomas de la Warre, later to be appointed Baron of Manchester, became rector of the parish church. 55

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

27,000,000 bricks, 30,000 windows and 8,000 tonnes of steel to build this beauty

It extends along the whole of the south front of Stanley Dock. It is 14 storeys high with 42 bays divided by seven loading bays and is said to be the largest warehouse in the world and the largest brick building in the world. Its construction absorbed 27 million bricks, 30,000 panes of glass and 8,000 tons of steel. It could accommodate 70,000 hogsheads of tobacco (each weighing 1,000 lbs). It was designed by A.G. Lyster, the Dock Engineer, but Arthur Berrington, an architectural draughtsman in Lyster’s office, almost certainly had a hand in the brick and terracotta detailing.

At high level on the west end in raised figures and letters are “MDE, 1900” and “Tobacco Warehouse.” On the north (dock) side are a series of iron stairs. On the south side there are a number of later bridges linking to the south Warehouse. The area between The Tobacco Warehouse and South Stanley Warehouse is known locally as “Pneumonia Alley” because it is almost always in shade and often acts as a wind tunnel.

ModernArchitect

This gargantuan warehouse is on an unequalled heroic scale and it dominates the landscape in this part of Liverpool.

TheNorthWestArchitect

New millennium architecture Following the decline of the cultural Madchester movement in music in the early 1990s and then the 1996 bombing, the city had a chance to reinvent itself. Following the cities music fame, sport and architecture was at the heart of the new Manchester. Manchester has seen new, often tall buildings being built, many in a post-modernist style incorporating a glass faĂ§ade into their design. Arguably, the most well known building of this type came in the form of a skyscraper in 2006 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the 168m Beetham Tower which was designed by architect, Ian Simpson. Other buildings to have incorporated glass into their design include Urbis, No. 1 Deansgate, Manchester Civil Justice Centre. ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

the 1996 IRA bomb, Urbis was a product of the ambition Manchester had for its future development, acting as a key cultural destination at the Northern end of the city in the newly developed Millennium Quarter. Since then Urbis has undergone many changes. This started with a new exhibition programme focussing on popular, contemporary and urban culture; launched with the Peter Saville Show in 2004. This was complemented by learning and community activities, events, city tours, a cafe, shop and aswell as an award-winning bar and restaurant The Modern Bar & Restaurant. Never comfortable being a labelled ‘a museum’, over six years Urbis developed a new way of exhibiting the world – immersing people in the experience of popular culture, which encouraged visitors to see it, feel it, love it and live it. Today this site remains a testament to its legacy; all it sought and succeeded in achieving. Architecture

The design was chosen following the results of an international competition organised by Manchester City Council. Simpson’s design was chosen as it left room to create a surrounding green space, which became known as Cathedral Gardens. Its striking feature is the unique glass façade, consisting of over 2,000 panes of glass and a curved roof constructed using pre-aged, emerald coloured copper tiling, a signature of the style of Ian Simpson; complementing the colour of the glass and sitting nicely with the surrounding historic public realm. Urbis appears to change shape according to which angle it is approached from. Its 35 m peak (South elevation) slope, down to 6m (North elevation), leaving space for the surrounding historic buildings including Victoria Station, Chetham’s School of Music and Manchester Cathedral. Urbis still exists as a building and houses its Shop, City Tours programme and The Modern Bar and Restaurant and RECLAIM programme, although this closed to the public on 27 February 2010. In 2011, Urbis will re-open as The National Football Museum, previously located at Preston.

ModernArchitect

Designed by the local firm Ian Simpson Architects and built in 2002, Urbis was situated in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, at the heart of Manchester’s redeveloped Millennium Quarter. Standing at 35 m high it replaced what was once a derelict car park and soon came to be recognised as one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings – standing as a symbol of regeneration within the city.

TheNorthWestArchitect

Designed by Ian Simpson The Beetham Tower was designed by Ian Simpson of the Beetham Organisation. Ian Simpson has designed a number of famous sky scrappers including the Urbis in Manchester and the Beetham Towers in Birmingham and London. Ian Simpson actually lives in the top floor penthouse which cost him ÂŁ3m and occupies the the two top floors of the building. His Penthouse includes 21 trees which were shipped from Italy and put in the building before the roof was built. ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

Halewood Centre for learning designed by Aedas is part of the ground breaking £150 million Knowsley Building Schools for the Future. Opened in March 2009 this state of the art facility is one of seven new centres for learning aimed at wide scale local regeneration and community reengagement through education, and as such is exemplary of the design vision and ethos of Knowsley. The centre moves away from the traditional school design becomming a fully inclusive learning centre for the community. Halewood CfL is a truly unique learning environment, which promotes flexible and personalised approaches to teaching and learning.

Halewood Centre for learning designed by Aedas is part of the ground breaking £150 million Knowsley Building Schools for the Future.

Halewood Centre for Learning, Liverpool

The design of the centre focuses around a central atrium with homebases and specialist areas for science, sports and drama all flowing into it. The homebase is composed of fully flexible spaces which can be partitioned off by use of retractable walls and curtains to allow a variety of teaching and learning styles to be accomodated within one place, increasing the adaptability and inclusivity of the building’s use.

The concept of the ‘view’ is integral to the design of the building. A series of interior external spaces weave through the building offering easy access to the exterior in the form of terraces, balconies and courtyard.

ModernArchitect

Opened in March 2009 this state of the art facility is one of seven new centres for learning aimed at wide scale local regeneration and community reengagement through education, and as such is exemplary of the design vision and ethos of Knowsley. The centre moves away from the traditional school design becomming a fully inclusive learning centre for the community. Halewood CfL is a truly unique learning environment, which promotes flexible and personalised approaches to teaching and learning.

TheNorthWestArchitect

All Saints Primary School, Bradford All Saints Primary School was a commission from Bradford Council to develop a new 2 form entry (420 place primary and a 60 piece nursery); upon a new site adjacent to existing “live” school on land formely belonging to St Luke’s Hospital. This new build school is a two storey building compromising 12 classrooms, 2 reception classes and nursery, with 2 school halls, kitchen, library, IT and admin areas. The classrooms are arranged around an atrium, which is used for access and ventilation, and there is also a green roof for occassional external teaching. Work commenced upon site in January 2008, and was completed in March 2009. Delivering a radically planned Primary School with Nursery, located with the circular drum located at the end of the main school wing. Internally the plan provides an open internal “street” within the school, allowing light to penetrate the depth of the building while providing visual connection between teaching, learning and communication facilities.

Architect Robinson Design Ltd 1-2 Merchantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quay Ashley Lane Shipley BD17 7DB t 01274 532 500 f 01274 534 000

Contact Sheila Lynes Client Bradford City Council Main Contractor ISG

ModernArchitect

The £43m building was completed in July 2007, and was designed by architects Sheppard Robson. It consists of three “fingers”, each of which are four stories high. The building is of steel frame construction, with reinforced concrete stair wells, and grey zinc exterior cladding.

TheNorthWestArchitect

The northern two fingers are joined by an atrium, which is spanned by a series of bridges. The southernmost finger was designed to hold low vibration laboratories, and is joined by a glazed bridge at third floor level to the middle finger. An ‘over-sailing’ roof structure connects the three fingers acting as a suspension system for a photovoltaic array/solar shading using thin film technology. This photovoltaic array is designed to produce nearly 41 megawatt hours per annum, a saving of 17,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide each year. At the time of completion this was the largest photovoltaic array in North West England, and helped the architects to win an award for “Business Commitment to the Environment”.

One condition for planning approval was that the project included corridors for pedestrian access and visual transparency between Upper Brook Street and Oxford Road. This was to counter complaints by the residents of Brunswick, on the other side of Upper Brook Street, that previous university developments seemed to be creating a wall to them. The pedestrian walkway between the second and third finger, and the transparent atrium met these demands. This follows the line of an earlier street, when the site was a residential area, and when reopened will run from Upper Brook Street to Oxford Road and is called “Wilton Street”, as it was historically. The roof structure was also required by the planning authorities so that the development is regarded as one building. The atrium looking down from the 3rd floor

Alan Turing Building,

ModernArchitect

In the 1960s many mathematics departments were housed in high-rise buildings including the Mathematics Tower at the Victoria University of Manchester, and the Maths and Social Sciences Building at UMIST. These proved completely unsuited to the activities of a mathematics department (and arguably any academic department) as travel between floors in lifts (and uninviting stairways) discourages interaction between mathematicians resulting from chance encounter. Buildings such as the Mathematics Institute at Warwick (at East Site and later the Zeeman Building) and the Isaac Newton Institute at Cambridge are deliberately low-rise and designed to encourage chance encounter. [citation needed] The Alan Turing Building was designed with substantial input from the mathematicians[citation needed] and the design reflects this including a large open plan common room on the atrium bridge, open corridors and walkways and the relocation of the best traditional blackboards from the old buildings. 73

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

No.1 Deansgate occupies part of the redeveloped Shambles Square in Manchester City Centre. The scheme comprises 14 storeys of steel framed residential superstructure. Long span composite concrete decking is supported by a grillage of 3 metre high steel trusses bearing onto a raking column transfer arrangement. The steelwork at the base of the columns is cast into a reinforced concrete substructure of five levels, which transfers the superstructure loads and acts to restrain the retaining wall around the perimeter of the site. The substructure has two levels of car park, two levels of retail and a podium acting as an entrance for the residential floor areas above. The project was completed on site in spring 2002 and has won several awards including the Commendation for Most Innovative Project in the IStructE North West Regional Structural Awards 2003, a RIBA Award 2003 and a Civic Trust Award 2004. 75

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

onal Wildflower Centre exists to ote the creation of new biodiverse habitween architects, sustainability en was the winner of an internati-

heory through architecture, wildflow-

mulate curiosity, inspire confidence, chal-

vity and innovation.

vironment and the organic morpholntext.

ometry of growth in the natural world, has pire the architecture. The dynam-

TheNorthWestArchitect

mary elements that together embody physi-

ry with the gardens that draws visi-

the symmetry of a flow-

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

Liverpool ONE

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

North Manchester Sixth Form College The Manchester College approached Walker Simpson Architects to deliver a landmark public building containing a 525 place college and public library and to convert a derelict Grade 2 listed Public Baths building into Further Education classrooms, dance studio, a multipurpose community hall, administrative offices and catering facilities over two phases. The second phases of restoration and rebuilding works will link in with the recently completed new building and retained chimney to form the Harpurhey Campus. The completed project has won a significant range of international, national and regional awards bestowed on the project for architectual, heritage and sustainable design excellence. A high level of consultation for the scheme has assisted in winning the local support and community engagement for the project. The project has one of the largest Photovoltaic (PV) insullation in the North West and is used by the building Research Establishment as a case study for the further education sector

ModernArchitect

the largest Photovoltaic (PV) insullation in the North West

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

1 New York Street, Manchester

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

Sixth Form College, Rochdale

ModernArchitect

TheNorthWestArchitect

ModernArchitect

Liverpool Science Park