Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has announced that its Power Hall is due to reopen on the 17th October
Described as one of the most significant industrial heritage buildings in the UK, it is a living gallery that showcases a unique collection of historic 19th and early 20th century working engines and a long-time favourite destination for visitors eager to explore ideas that started life in Manchester and went on to change the world.
Stepping back inside Power Hall, visitors will rediscover iconic engines that powered everything from cotton mills to chip shops, electricity generators to railways. These include Pender, a steam locomotive used to transport holiday makers around the Isle of Man in the 1870s, which offers a unique view into its inner workings through its cut away side. The Durn Mill steam engine will also be up and running.
Originally used to power weaving machinery at an 1800s mill near Rochdale, engines such as this dramatically increased production and profits, which in turn increased exploitation both locally and globally. Returning visitors will also be pleased to see a replica of the Planet steam locomotive, built by skilled volunteers inside Power Hall in 1992. The original Planet pulled passengers between Liverpool and Manchester from 1830 to 1840 and was the next iteration of steam locomotive after Stephenson’s famous prototype, Rocket.
There will also be a wealth of new stories on display that focus on the people who have powered our lives both past and present. Whether it’s one of the first women to have a full career as an electrical engineer, or a woman forced to pick cotton on American plantations that was supplied to Manchester’s mills, or a present-day designer of wind turbines, or a control systems engineer who uses ‘digital twins’ to improve real-world industrial processes, Power Hall will showcase the people whose skills and determination have shaped our relationship with energy, from the Industrial Revolution to greener futures.
Brand new interactives will get visitors’ cogs turning as they build, pump, hammer and even crawl their way through a number of hands-on activities aimed at putting problem solving skills to the test. Creators of the future can experiment with motion, mechanics and building materials to discover what it takes to power industrial machines.
Power Hall is part of one of the biggest heritage restoration projects in the UK and exemplifies engineering in action. Live demonstrations of the working engines will showcase the skills of the museum’s expert team of technicians, explainers, conservationists and intergenerational volunteers, alongside budding engineers on T-level placements, who are working to preserve Manchester’s heritage by ensuring past skills endure and future technical skills and careers develop. It is applying contemporary solutions to keep the locomotives and engines maintained for future generations.
The Science and Industry Museum has worked collaboratively with visitors and a range of diverse groups and partners to develop this multisensory gallery. They have helped to test ideas, interpretation and interactive displays to ensure that the experience supports a variety of ages, interests and enthusiasms. The new interpretation and activities bring to life the stories of these incredible engines in ways that represent and resonate with our lives today.
Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum said: “This is a hugely significant moment for our museum, the Science Museum Group and for Manchester. Power Hall symbolises the city’s innovation, creativity and resilience, and we are overjoyed that visitors will soon be back to enjoy all the amazing objects and stories on display.
“Ideas that began in this city have impacted people and places across the world and shaped life as we know it, and Power Hall showcases this in a very physical way. Our colleagues who first set up this gallery in 1983 knew that science and engineering have always been crucial to Manchester’s success and future growth. Many people have told me that the Power Hall was inspirational for them as children, and I hope now it can inspire a new generation of inventors and technicians.
“A massive thank you to our fantastic collaborators, partners and funders for helping us to create this must-see Manchester experience, and of course to our visitors for their patience and sustained interest while Power Hall has been closed. I speak on behalf of everyone at the museum when I say we can’t wait to welcome you back.”
Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery project has been made possible with support from Andrew Law via his personal foundation, AL Philanthropies. It remains the museum’s largest philanthropic gift to date and will support an education programme centred around the stories and machines in Power Hall, which aims to encourage more young people to pursue careers in STEM by highlighting the diverse people responsible for inventing, building and powering new technology.
Andrew Law said: “I have been delighted to support the regeneration of Power Hall. As well as being steeped in history – science and industry in the Greater Manchester region is again of central importance to both further education and help drive economic growth. With this iconic building back open, we hope that many will be inspired to pursue STEM learning and careers.”
The Grade II listed Power Hall was built in 1855 as the shipping shed for Liverpool Road Station, the world’s first purpose-built passenger railway station. After more than 160 years of exposure to Manchester’s weather, urgent works were needed to restore and improve the building, as well as secure its future. The museum has collaborated with architect and lead designer Carmody Groarke, Manchester building contractor HH Smith & Sons, exhibition designers Studio MUTT and building service engineers, Max Fordham, to repair and protect the building’s heritage, improve the experience for all and ensure that the globally significant collections and building continue to take pride of place.
Visitors will be welcomed to the 2,500 square metre space through a new central entrance that has improved wayfinding and access. It is reached through the museum’s historic Upper Yard, which now provides accessible routes, as well as seating and planting linked to the history of the site, which has been designed by landscape architects Planit working alongside heritage architects Buttress.
Inside, circulation and sightlines have been clarified by reinstating the historic central platform and goods shed layout. Key collections are displayed along a more accessible route, integrated into re-laid cobbles and timber flooring. Services are carefully concealed and contemporary lighting highlights the architecture, allowing the building’s character and the collection to take centre stage.
Studio Mutt’s timeless exhibition design, alongside Carmody Groarke’s layout, makes the journey for visitors clear and dynamic. New, engaging, people-centred storytelling, increased opportunities for hands-on learning and access to working engines can be enjoyed while celebrating the scale of the building and objects. Contemporary lighting uplifts and draws attention to key objects, impressive LED halos easily define major sections of the gallery and glowing, back-lit historic images set within mirrored surrounds offer plenty of impressive spectacles.
The vast new roof (the length of a premier league football pitch) re-uses most of the original slates laid over sustainable wood-fibre roof insulation (made from a byproduct of timber). Repairs to timber trusses, conservation of historic brickwork, new insulated roof lights, windows and doors, expanded guttering to manage increased rainfall, the installation of a new electric boiler powered by a vast new water source heat network and new LED lighting ensure the building is weather resistant and sustainable.
