Royal Mail today celebrates 10 iconic buildings in the UK with the launch of a set of Special Stamps and Salford’s Imperial War Museum North is one of the buildings showcased.
The IWM North was designed by the Polish–American architect Daniel Libeskind.Libeskind made his name with the Jewish Museum in Berlin, a building that sought to represent the complexity and anguish of its subject through its jagged angles and complicated interlocking forms.
Located on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal and opened in 2002, the IWM North – a museum dedicated to telling the story of how war has changed lives from the First World War to the present day – was Libeskind’s first building in the UK.
Its form was conceived as a series of fragments of a shattered globe that have been reassembled, with three interlocking shards signifying conflict on land, water and in the air.
Achieved on a budget of £28.5 million and covering an area of 69,965ft² (6,500m²), its construction materials include steel frames and aluminium cladding. With its irregular angles and clashing shapes, IWM North has a deliberately unsettling feel, while also offering moments of peace within.
The IWM North won the British Construction Industry’s Building of the Year Award in 2004.
Emily Mathew, Head of Business Development at IWM North said: “It is an incredible honour for IWM North to be recognised as a landmark building in Royal Mail’s new series of stamps.
“Our eye catching building was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and intended to represent a globe shattered by conflict. Since our opening in 2002 we have attracted awards, accolades and visitors from across the world.
“Having just celebrated our 15th birthday, it is great to see our iconic building is still attracting the attention it deserves in the North West and beyond.”
Philip Parker, Stamp Strategy Manager, Royal Mail, said: “These new stamps celebrate visionary buildings which combine stunning architecture with great engineering.”
The images capture the distinctive lines and shapes of the structures that have become famous landmarks.
Featured in the set are: the London Aquatics Centre; the Library of Birmingham; the SEC Armadillo, Glasgow; the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh; Giants’ Causeway Visitor Centre, Northern Ireland; the National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff; the Eden Project, St Austell; the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and the Blavatnik Building – formerly Switch House, Tate Modern, London.
The past two decades has seen a surge in the construction of new public buildings in the UK.
A great many of these adventurous and innovative structures, serving culture, sport, government and business, have since become popular and integral parts of their local landscapes, often playing a part in regeneration.
Some were initiated by central government, some by civic leaders of major cities, and others were the ideas of passionate individuals.
There has also been a renewal of confidence in British architecture led by world-famous architects including Dame Zaha Hadid, Lord Richard Rogers and Lord Norman Foster, along with a host of other talents.
The new stamps are available from today at www.royalmail.com/
