The Science and Industry Museum, one of Manchester’s leading cultural institutions, has begun work on one of its Grade II-listed buildings.
The ‘critical’ repair work will see the historic roof of the New Warehouse replaced – a roof that’s the size of two Olympic swimming pools.
In fact, if you lined up the gutters surrounding the building end-to-end, it would be the same length as London’s Tower Bridge.
The landmark museum’s New Warehouse is more than 140 years old, having first been built as essential storage space for the bustling Liverpool Road Station.
The roof work at the Science and Industry Museum is part of the extensive, multi-million-pound heritage restoration project taking place across the historic site.
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Visitors will be able to see the engineering in action, as scaffolding is erected around the New Warehouse, but the building will remain open for visitors throughout the work.
And there’ll be – as always – a packed programme of events, exhibitions and displays to explore, including the hugely popular Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You.
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Inside the New Warehouse building of the Science and Industry Museum, there are three permanent galleries, three changing exhibition spaces, the main museum entrance, a cafe, shop, and conference space, all spread across three floors.
The Science and Industry Museum’s New Warehouse is having a new roof fitted. Credit: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The urgent repairs to its roof will allow them museum to continue its incredible work inspiring new generations of scientists and innovators.
The works are taking place thanks to the museum’s £14.2m worth of capital funding by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
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As The New Warehouse dates back to the 1880s, the vital work will be undertaken with Manchester-based architects Buttress, who specialise in restoring listed and historic buildings.
This will involve making the roof – a massive 100m x 40m in size (or two Olympic-sized swimming pools) – watertight, completely re-tiling it with 60,000 Welsh Slate tiles from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales.
They’ll match the original slates and will even be nailed in in a traditional way to honour the building’s heritage.
Lower Byrom street warehouse, Liverpool road station, Manchester 1983. Credit: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The work will also make the building more sustainable, with masonry and windows restored and roof lights upgraded.
The final piece of work for this phase will see the gutters replaced with cast iron ones that reflect the building’s history.
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Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum says: “We are delighted that the next stage of the site’s multi-million-pound restoration project is underway. This marks an exciting moment as we carry out vital repairs to our main museum building, including a brand-new roof.
“Whilst this repair work will bring some disruption to our site, including our largest scaffolding structure to date, the changes taking place now will mean visitors can enjoy our museum for years to come.
“We’ve always been a place of change and transformation and the work on New Warehouse is our next step to future-proof our historic site.”
Alex Scrimshaw of Buttress says: “This is a key milestone for the Science and Industry Museum. The comprehensive repair and renovations reflect our commitment to ensuring that the 140-year-old New Warehouse building will be welcoming visitors for many years to come.
“It’s very exciting to be re-slating the roof with a sustainable national Welsh slate. Traditional lead-lined gutters have been reintroduced, to cope with the ever-increasing pressures imposed by extreme weather.
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“The re-roofing works also provide the opportunity to significantly improve thermal performance; seeing the introduction of an innovative wood fibre insulation; as well as carrying out the meticulous masonry, stonework and window repairs required of a building of this grand stature.
“The project will also incorporate facilities which will enable inspections to monitor and check the building’s precise condition.
“Together with the project team, we are keen to embark on this journey to deliver a museum building fit for the 21st century.”
The New Warehouse work is expected to be completed by mid-2025, with the Power Hall reopening in Spring 2025.
Featured image: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum – Lee Mawdsley
Art & Culture
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A new digital archive documenting the legendary Queer Up North festival has launched this month.
Running for an illustrious decade from 1992 to 2002, Queer Up North was the first multi-artform LGBTQ+ festival in Europe, but its significance has extended far beyond the arts as a beacon for queer culture, and is largely described as being one of the most pioneering and influential festivals ever.
From the very start, Queer Up North had an international standpoint – gaining support and recognition from much further afield as well as here in Manchester.
The festival emerged during a period where Manchester’s queer communities were navigating new ways to gain visibility and to create culture on their own terms.
It played a central role in uniting artists, performers, audiences, and venues – helping to establish Manchester as an international destination for LGBTQ+ arts and culture.
The newly launched digital archive shares materials from the iconic festival’s history, making them easily accessible to the public online for the first time, and for free.
The curated collection features 1420 images, 275 artefacts, and 29 oral histories revealing amazing stories about the people, performances, art, club nights, cabaret, and comedy that all helped to shape culture in Manchester during the 90s.
It offers a chance to explore a pivotal decade of Manchester’s history and understand how a generation of artists, performers, and audiences created a whole host of new opportunities for the Mancunian queer community.
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival / Credit: Jonathan Keenan (Supplied)
It also facilitates a platform for new work, inspired by the legacy of Queer Up North, with founders emphasising that its purpose is as much about the future, as it is the past.
Tanja Farman and Gavin Barlow, founder-directors of Queer Up North shared: “The festival set out to be pioneering, innovative, international and inspirational, and looking back 34 years later, is it incredibly exciting to see that history preserved and celebrated.
“The Queer Up North Archive ensures that the creativity and contributions of LGBTQ+ artists and communities are remembered, while opening up their work and stories to a new generation.
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month
Emily Sergeant
A popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event is returning to Manchester later this month… and there’s some spooky surprises in store.
If you need an excuse to leave the little Mancs at home, or you just fancy releasing your inner child, then one of Manchester’s most visited museums might have just what you’re looking for, as the Science and Industry Museum has announced that its popular After Hours event especially for adults is returning for one night only at the end of the month.
The museum will become your playground once it’s closed for the day as you settle in for a unique evening of live music, giant interactive games, and spooky surprises for Halloween.
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month / Credit: Science Museum Group
The Museum’s permanent galleries and displays will be open after hours, so you can get hands-on with science in Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery, and discover Manchester‘s rich legacy of industrial innovations, creativity, and world-changing ideas in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also get free access to the popular Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos exhibition, which just opened earlier this year, and get to indulge your playful side in Power Up – with more than 150 consoles to choose from in the ultimate gaming extravaganza.
Especially for spooky season, you can look forward to some very special one-off events too, like stellar performances from Manchester drag royalty, Anna Phylactic, a cosmic cabaret with live vocals, and a monster mash-up soundtrack guaranteed to get you into the Halloween spirit.
There’ll also be a chance to meet Albert Slime-stein – a larger-than-life monster popping up the museum as part of Halloween in the City’s iconic Manchester Monsters trail.
And as this is an adults-only event, the museum’s events bar will be open on the night, serving up a wide range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to wet your whistle while you’re looking around, with some delicious food to accompany too.
Museum After Hours is happening on Thursday 29 October from 7pm-10pm, with tickets setting you back £12 each or £6 for concessions.
Daisy Jackson -
31st January 2024 
