Architecture students help re-imagine Manchester Airport’s iconic chandeliers for new terminal
Historic chandeliers that were once a familiar sight for holidaymakers passing through Manchester Airport’s Terminal 1 have been given a new lease of life, thanks to students from Manchester School of Architecture, a collaboration between Manchester Met and the University of Manchester.
Fifteen talented architecture students worked with a local artist to re-imagine the three iconic chandeliers, which were taken down as part of an airport redesign in the ‘90s and will be unveiled to the public in their new form next month as part of a major redevelopment of Terminal 2.
The students worked with local sculptural artist and Manchester Met alumnus Liam Hopkins as part of MSA Live, an annual programme of live projects which students undertake with external partners to create social impact or community benefit.
Crafted from the glass droplets that formed the original venetian chandeliers, the new 517-piece installation is named Atmospheric Reflections of the North as a nod to the North’s industrial heritage.
The students’ project involved a research trip to the World of Glass Museum in St Helens, where one of the three original chandeliers is on display, as well as to artist Liam Hopkins’s Denton-based studio.
The group studied the glass shapes from the original design, worked with Hopkins on the practicalities of how the new design could be installed, and had weekly planning calls with Manchester Airport.
With inspiration from the proposed designs from the students, Hopkins developed three options which were put to public and airport colleague consultation.
An alumnus of Manchester School of Art at Manchester Met, Hopkins studied 3D Design and graduated in 2006. He is a successful sculptural artist and the founder of multidisciplinary creative studio Lazerian.
Emily Crompton, Senior Lecturer at Manchester School of Architecture, said: “This project illustrates the whole idea behind MSA Live. It’s great to see the students working on something that has a real-world impact. We’ve got a lot of international students, so I know that some of them will be walking alongside it. It’s a wonderful achievement for the students that so many people will see their work.”
The three chandeliers had been a cultural landmark since the airport opened in 1962, adding a touch of glamour for millions of holidaymakers. Featuring over 1,300 pieces of crystal, they were designed by architect Stefan Buzas and hand blown by glass maker Bruno Zanetti at the Venini factory in Murano, Italy, at a cost of £3,000 each.
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, added: “Here at Manchester Airport we’ve been proud to connect the North to the world for over 85 years and we know how well-loved our iconic chandeliers were. Seeing this go from concept to creation has been amazing and I can’t wait to see the final pieces come together in May.”
This week it was announced that Manchester School of Architecture has retained its position in the top five best in the world in the QS World Subject Rankings. To find out more about MSA Live and working with students on a future project please see here.
