The RAAC infected Bury Market Hall is under threat and should be listed say the 20th Century Society
The Society say the building has drawn comparisons with Eero Saarinen’s airport terminals at JFK and Washington Dulles, and is one of a small number of virtuoso post-war market buildings, that combined technical innovation with civic placemaking in new towns and city centres, and those damaged by the Blitz.
Having traded continuously for more than 50 years, Bury Market closed in 2023 following the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in the external loading bay and market roof – specifically the roof planks which span the in-situ concrete downstand beams.
The council is currently considering five options for the market, only one of which proposes refurbishment.
The Society is concerned that the council may pursue demolition, believing this to be their only viable option
They add that a designation for Bury Market Hall would protect the building from demolition and encourage the council to proceed with a conservation-led refurbishment – replacing the RAAC in a way that preserves the building’s undoubted architectural interest.
Built between 1969 and 1971, the new £1.25 million market hall accommodated up to 140 stalls and was the centrepiece of the post-war redevelopment of Bury, which sought to establish a new commercial and social centre in the town.
The new market replaced the town’s Edwardian Market which burnt down in 1968s and provided a modern new home for the market, which has underpinned life in the town and neighbouring regions for centuries.
