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PROJECT / THE WHITWORTH, MANCHESTER, UK
Left: Central Exhibition Gallery, Cornelia Parker's exhibition, The Whitworth. Pic: David Levene Bottom left: Cai Guo-Qiang, Unmanned Nature, Landscape Gallery, The Whitworth. Pic: Alan Williams; Bottom centre: Portraits, The Whitworth. Pic: David Levene; Bottom right: Sarah Lucas's exhibition, The Whitworth. Pic: David Levene
programme, and a growing arts collection, the Whitworth found a new need to expand. The gallery’s RIBA architectural competition, which was won by MUMA architects in 2009, wanted to make its internationally important collection accessible to a wider range of visitors; make better use of the existing gallery spaces; and establish a relationship with the surrounding grounds and park. The brief included the following quote from previous Whitworth Director Margaret Pilkington following a visit to Oslo in 1932: “I have come to the conclusion that a good museum or gallery should be a place where people feel comfortable. If it stands in a garden or park, the visitors should be able to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors as a counterpart to what is within.” This quote struck somewhat of a chord with MUMA and underpins the architectural firm’s
design approach to the Whitworth, with new visual connections to the park created and celebrated. Equally important to the architectural firm was the opportunity to establish a new transparency. MUMA’s design aimed to respond to the existing characteristics of the site and building. For MUMA's Stuart McKnight, it wasn’t just the Whitworth’s wants and desires that were the main focus of the project, it was their vision also, as he explained: “We all wanted to better connect with the park as the competition brief had outlined and so we took both horizontal views of the park and opened up the original Victorian roof lights to bring in light from above." The new gallery extension encapsulates the unresolved west end, creating a new frontage to the park, while the architectural hierarchy and scale has been carefully considered to ensure that the
clarity of the principal entrance is not undermined. McKnight spoke with mondo*arc about some of the improvements made through the project: “One of the issues with the existing building was that it was quite dark, only 16% of the ground floor galleries had daylight and we felt that had to change. Now, 56% of the ground floor galleries have daylight but there is also the café and promenade, so the majority of the ground floor has daylight streaming through it, as well as views connecting to the park.” Working with the lighting group at BuroHappold Engineering and company Partner Stephen Jolly, two new wings of contrasting character extend into the park containing a garden courtyard and new entrance. Placed at main gallery level, the transparent, slender wing of the café and its south-facing terrace celebrate the park