The Council and democracy Our Town Hall Project - the transformation

What's involved in the project?

The building needs work to bring it up to modern access and safety standards. As well as preserving its rich heritage, the work undertaken will improve access, allowing visitors to move around the building more easily, and increase the visibility of some of the Town Hall’s many treasures.

During the course of the work we're creating many exciting opportunities, including apprenticeships and a range of jobs and training schemes. Owing to the scale of the project, many specialist contractors are already on board, with still more to come.

Town Hall

The Town Hall is being repaired and upgraded to modern safety and accessibility standards, including seven new lifts and welfare facilities too. Detailed specialist survey work to assess the condition of the building identified the scope of work necessary to safeguard it for current and future generations, and to ensure it can continue to play a key role at the heart of the city’s life. 

The work involves structural repairs such as internal stonework, mosaic flooring and stained glass windows, ensuring that all fixtures and fittings are fully working and restored throughout. Significant work is well under way to improve the Town Hall’s electrics, plumbing, heating, ventilation and lift installations, and external repairs made to the roof, stonework and drains. Every tile on the complex roof, for example, has been taken off and is being replaced with slate from the same quarry that was used for the original build.

In addition, the project includes the repair, restoration and conservation of key historic features, including all the State Rooms, the famous Great Hall and its Ford Madox Brown murals, the Town Hall clock, the organ and the collection of paintings and artworks.  

Albert Square

The plans to renovate, resurface and improve Albert Square as a public space and popular meeting place were brought forward so that the neighbouring businesses could benefit from an earlier partial opening of the square – helping them in their recovery from lockdown. The square has always been a busy focal space within the city; it's a popular place for public reflection, but also plays host to many local, national and international events throughout the year, such as victory parades and the famous Manchester Christmas Markets.

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