At long last, one of Manchester’s most disliked landmarks has disappeared from the city centre, as the scaffolding in Piccadilly Gardens comes down.
The concrete structure that carves across the southern end of Piccadilly Gardens, known by many as the ‘Piccadilly Wall’, is undergoing a bit of a transformation.
When it’s completed, the Piccadilly Pavilion will display a light installation with criss-crossed LED lighting, on the side of the Piccadilly Gardens tram stop.
The other side will have floor-to-ceiling windows looking into the businesses who are based here – viral corndog trader Bunsik and equally viral iced drinks brand Black Street.
This week, a major step has been made in the Piccadilly wall transformation project.
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Now that some of the scaffolding has come down, we can see that the overhead concrete canopy is gone. Vanished. No more.
The light installation is also being installed as we speak.
The Piccadilly Wall wasn’t supposed to be such a divisive landmark. It’s actually designed by leading Japanese architect Tadao Ando following a competition to regenerate the area after the IRA bomb.
Ando is famous for his well-crafted concrete structures, including a circular fountain in Mayfair, but the scale and shape of his Manchester installation didn’t exactly go down well with locals.
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The canopy of the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester has finally been demolished. Credit: The Manc Group
The way it blocks off Piccadilly Gardens from the busy tram and bus routes has often been cited as a reason for the rise in crime and anti-social behaviour here.
And while providing vital shelter from the relentless drizzle, the canopy has also been blamed for encouraging crowds to gather in the area.
Though thousands of Mancs would love to see Piccadilly Gardens restored back to the rose-filled sunken gardens it used to be, this big block of concrete disappearing is definitely a welcome step in the right direction.
When a photo of the building work was shared in the Manchester Histories page on Facebook, one person wrote: “Long over due! Should stay open and become a gardens again.”
Another said: “Its such a shame that this wasn’t better thought out, with architecture like this context is everything, if it had been built by the university of Manchester, next to the wonderful collection of brutalist buildings there, it would have looked great, in Piccadilly it just added to the dystopian vibe, especially as it was constructed just as the spice epidemic kicked in, context is everything.”
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Someone else said: “I don’t think it has any future as a “garden” in this day and age- too costly to maintain in the age of cutbacks. But demolishing the canopy is a start. This whole project was not Tadao Ando’s finest work and never worked for this space and purpose.”
In pictures – the vision for the ‘Piccadilly Wall’ in Manchester
CGIs showing how the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester will look. Credit: LGIMRACGIs showing how the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester will look. Credit: LGIMRACGIs showing how the Piccadilly Wall in Manchester will look. Credit: LGIMRA
Tickets go live as opening date is announced for Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience
Emily Sergeant
Tickets to visit Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience have officially gone live ahead of the grand opening.
Set to open in the heart of the £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus next month, the Manchester City Museum Experience will be spread across 10 distinctive spaces – with visitors invited to take a trip down memory lane with nostalgic environments from throughout the club’s history.
Fans will also be able to take part in interactive media experiences, like posing with all 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams or trying their hand at football punditry.
The experience will combine the latest immersive technology with physical memorabilia drawn from across the club’s history to do this.
Hidden details and surprising ‘did you know’ facts are set to be embedded across the experience, so that even the most devoted Man City fans will have the chance to discover something new about the club they love.
By combining interactive environments, technology, and authentic artefacts, the experience is aiming to appeal to a wide audience – from lifelong Manchester City supporters, to families and those with a broader interest in football, culture, and the city of Manchester.
“The Museum Experience has been designed as a destination that goes beyond just the pitch,” commented Jeremy Maxton, who is the Director of Visitor Attractions at Manchester City Football Club.
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of its new ‘immersive’ museum / Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
“Whether you’re a lifelong supporter, visiting Manchester for a weekend, or simply looking for a unique day out, we’ve created an experience that offers something for everyone.
“From the recreated environments and original memorabilia to the interactive elements, there are different ways into the Club’s history throughout the Museum.
“We’ve also built in space for new stories to be added over time, so the experience can continue to evolve. It’s been a huge project to bring together and we’re looking forward to people seeing it for themselves later this year.”
The Manchester City Museum Experience officially opens on 14 December, and you can now book tickets to visit from that date here.
Featured Image – Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
News
TfGM apologises after two weeks of major tram disruption across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Trams have finally resumed running in Greater Manchester following two weeks of major disruption across the Metrolink network.
Tram services have resumed across the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this morning (Monday 2 November) following the completion of major track replacement work between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, while maintenance and renewal work also took place on the Eccles line and in the city centre during the planned closure.
Engineers replaced around 4km of track on what is said to be one of the ‘busiest and most complex’ sections of the Metrolink network.
The new track will allow further speed restrictions to be lifted, as according to TfGM, around 100,000 journeys are already benefiting from journey time improvements delivered through previous phases of work every day.
It all forms part of the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network in a bid to make it ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
✅ This morning, tram services have resumed on the Altrincham, East Didsbury, Eccles, Manchester Airport and Trafford Park lines.
We thank customers for their patience and understanding while these works took place.
↪️ A small service change remains in place through the city centre until the end of service on Wednesday 4 November.
Until then, trams on the Bury – Altrincham, and Victoria – Manchester Airport lines will divert via Exchange Square. Customers may need to change trams to reach Shudehill or Market Street.
👉 Find out more: https://t.co/Vm08ZEDUq4
With services now back up and running, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued a statement apologising for disruption.
Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, commented: “This was an essential piece of engineering work on one of the busiest parts of our tram network and will help keep services safe, reliable and fit for the future.
“We’re sorry for the disruption and I’d like to thank passengers, residents, and businesses for their patience while we got on with the job.
“The upgrades mean customers will benefit from smoother journeys and allow us to lift further speed restrictions on this section of the network. It will help speed up our journeys and improve reliability for everyone who uses our network.
“Completing work of this scale on time is a significant achievement and I’d like to thank everyone involved for getting it done safely and efficiently.”
Daisy Jackson -
22nd August 2024 
