hkskyline's MANCHESTER photo thread

[hkskyline]

The Industrial Revolution transformed Manchester into a textiles manfacturing centre in the late 18th to 19th centuries from cotton sourced in the New World. Things in "Cottonopolis" looked good for the bourgeois, but for the working poor, conditions were dire. Overcrowded and polluted, it gave inspiration to Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto.

There's still a lot of grand Victorian architecture around the city centre, contrasted nicely by new glassy skyscrapers. The city centre is fairly compact and attractions are walkable to each other. I didn't have much time though - 2 days, but the weather co-operated and I had a great time exploring the city centre.

Let's start with an overview from above.

























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/manchester.htm

[ColDayMan]

The skyline has certainly grown from, say, ten years ago.

[plinko]

I've only seen the Manchester skyline from a great distance away lit up at night (2018). Seems way more substantial now.

Still, like so many cities that lack towers older than 20 years, not a single building here is really all that memorable. Unfortunate.

[hkskyline]

Let's start the walking tour with a few historic sights in the city centre.

Albert Square is the big public space fronting the massive neo-Gothic Town Hall. Currently under renovation, it was named after Queen Victoria's husband, with a monument in his honour built in 1867, 6 years after his death.





On the other side of the Town Hall is St. Peter's Square, a major tram interchange with the circular Central Library that was built in 1934. At the time, it was the biggest municipal library in the world.



The Midland Railway Company opened the Midland Hotel in 1903 to serve rail passengers arriving from London at the nearby Central station. Over the years, it hosted celebrities, politicians, and royal members.













Now a theatre, the Royal Exchange was originally a trading venue for cotton. The building opened in 1874 as membership swelled quickly, which made a larger venue necessary. It was important enough to have secured an Act of Parliament for the society to increase their capital and take on mortgages to fund its construction.







The Corn Exchange was inaugurated in 1837 with a new indoor trading facility. Before that, dealing happened on the streets and was exposed to the elements. Several expansions followed during the 19th century which would eventually double the size of the building.









More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/manchester.htm

[hkskyline]

Queen Victoria opened the Manchester Docks in 1894, which went on to become the country's 3rd biggest port. A significant part of the Manchester Ship Canal goes through Salford, which was granted city status by Royal Charter on April 21, 1926.

Shipping and textiles have long powered Manchester through the Industrial Revolution into the modern era. However, as container shipping took hold, the ships got larger by the 1970s, and trade patterns changed, Manchester's role as a port city became obsolete. By the early 1980s, all the docks have closed and this area became derelict and contaminated.

Salford Quays is a good example of urban regeneration. The former docks have been transformed into a neighbourhood of new homes and offices for large media companies such as the BBC and ITV, as well as a branch of the Imperial War Museum.





































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/manchester.htm

[hkskyline]

The John Rylands Library was commissioned in 1890 by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her successful industrialist husband. John was a textile manufacturer who was dubbed the city's first multi-millionaire. When he passed away, Enriqueta was believed to have inherited most of his wealth, estimated at over 290 million pounds in today's money.

The neo-Gothic building took 10 years to build and opened in 1900 with detailed stonework, stained glass windows, and narrow corridors. It became part of the University of Manchester in 1972.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/manchester.htm

[hkskyline]

There are a number of tall, grand historic buildings along Whitworth Street built between 1850 and 1920. During the 19th century, the booming textiles industry prompted construction of big warehouses to store the products. Within these buildings, offices faced the main street while the building's back would be storage space.



















The Sackville Street Building was built for the Municipal Technical School, which offered courses for mechanical engineering, chemistry, bleaching, printing, and more. The French Renaissance building was officially opened in 1902 by the Prime Minister.





The Refuge Assurance Company's headquarters originally opened in 1895 with the clock tower added subsequently. It was restored and turned into a Kimpton Hotel that opened in 2020 with 270 rooms.



This long building of stunning red bricks was once the border of the former Deansgate Goods Station. Dating from 1899, the building was first listed in 1989 and Deansgate Terrace now hosts shops on the ground floor.





Campfield Market Halls were originally intended to be fresh produce markets when they were completed in 1878, although one of the buildings subsequently also hosted exhibitions and entertainment events. Following a major fire in 1977, the city decided to restore it over demolition, turning the site into a museum from 1983 until 2020.



More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/manchester.htm

[MplsTodd]

I love Manchester's balance of new buildings and classic Victorians. In 2023, We took a train from Edinburgh to Liverpool, but due to rail strike, our direct route wasn't available, so we cobbled together a series a rides via York and Leeds to Manchester, finally ubering into Liverpool. Our train did a fascinating circle around central Manchester past the canals & bridges, it reminded me of Chicago. I definitely want to return.

[hkskyline]

The cathedral's origins date back to a parish church from the 15th century. It underwent a series of alterations and reconstruction throughout the 19th century and again from war bomb damage in 1940. The Christmas Blitz killed over 600 people and destroyed the cathedral's windows and several chapels. Luckily, there was no fire so the rest of the building was saved.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/manchester.htm

[geomorph]

Thank you for including a section showing the latest developments!