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Cornelia Parker's Cold Dark Matter, The Whitworth Pic: David Levene
It’s won several RIBA awards this year including the National Award, the North West Award, the North West Conservation Award and the North West Building of the Year Award; was this year's Art Fund Museum of the Year winner; and most recently co-commissioned and produced the Richter / Pärt project as part of this year’s Manchester International Festival… ‘It’, is one of Manchester’s most notable buildings and galleries… The Whitworth. Making up part of the University of Manchester, the Whitworth was founded in 1889 as the first English gallery in a park. Originally designed by J.W. Beaumont, it is home to an internationally important collection of works on paper, wallpapers and textiles as well as a contemporary collection institution, acquiring works by emerging and established artists. Having undergone various development stages over the past 126 years, the gallery is now an amalgamation of numerous alterations and reconfigurations, which often resulted in inappropriate, compromised and inefficient use of space. For example, in 1908, the external frontage was resolved, however the west end of the building presented an unresolved, blind mass to the park. Then in the 1970s, the original Grand Hall on the first floor was altered to contain collection storage as well as study and office space. More recently, with a growing national and international profile, an increasing audience, an ambitious exhibition and education