A new landmark exhibition has opened in the first-floor gallery of Manchester Central Library. It celebrates the contribution that the City Architects made to Manchester and its citizens over the 101
The first City Architect, Henry Price, was appointed in 1902 – between then and 2003, only six others held the prestigious post.
Price oversaw the design and construction of many of the city’s wash houses and baths, including the Grade II* listed Victoria Baths of 1906 on Hathersage Road.
It is worth remembering how much of the city’s operations were governed from the town hall. Manchester Corporation once controlled gas and electricity undertakings, tramways and trolleybuses, schools, police, fire and ambulance services, waste collection, parks and recreation, housing, libraries and more. The City Architect’s Department designed for all of these.
Over 350 images of plans, adverts, brochures, press clippings official and amateur photography, are on display and show the incredible breadth of the Departments influence, as well as their geographic reach. The exhibition focuses on the city and its suburbs, not just the centre.
Much of the show features buildings constructed between 1945 and 1974 – the end of the Second World War and the creation of Greater Manchester Council – and illustrates the incredible transformation of the city in that period.
Celebrated schemes, like the restoration of the Free Trade Hall in the 1950s, sit alongside more macabre utilitarian buildings, such as the City Mortuary, reminding us of the things a city needs to function.
The latter days of the Department were characterised by the upkeep of existing estate, libraries, schools and housing, and renewed attention on the public realm – the creation of Castlefield Urban Heritage Park, the pedestrianisation of Market Street, pocket parks along the River Irwell and in China Town.
Finally, as commissions increasingly fell to the private sector, the City Architect became an instrumental figure in the stewarding of large investments that saw Olympic bids and the delivery of the Commonwealth Games.
Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said:
‘This exhibition celebrates the work of City Architects who made their mark on the city skyscape and its suburbs from 1903. It is a fascinating look back at how instrumental they were in shaping the city and showcases their vision in making Manchester the city that we live in today.”
Professor Richard Brook – Lancaster University said:
“It is easy to forget the wonderful, weird and sometimes straightforward contributions that local authority architects made to the city and the lives they shaped. To get this research out in public and in partnership with Archives+ hopefully casts new light on the city and the collections.”
Dr Martin Dodge University of Manchester commented:
“Our exhibition includes a range of buildings now sadly demolished such as the elegant Edwardian greenhouse in Alexandra Park to the 1960s Sharston swimming baths. Evocative old photographs and detailed architectural plans help bring these lost buildings partially back to life.”
The exhibition runs until 28 February 2026. The curators, Dr Martin Dodge (University of Manchester) and Professor Richard Brook (Lancaster University), have created a dynamic composition to which they will continually add material during its run.
