Historic transformation plans for Manchester’s Portico Library have been submitted to Manchester City Council.
The scheme, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will reunite the building’s three floors for the first time in over a century, creating a fully accessible and sustainable cultural library in the heart of the city.
Plans will see step-free entrance and lift, making the Portico accessible to all.
There will be Exhibition and event spaces to explore the stories of Manchester’s communities and the city’s local/global heritage.
There will a Northern Bookshop, showcasing regional and emerging writers, and independent publishers and a creative Portico Kitchen, celebrating the city’s food culture, writing and history.
Plans also for school groups, families, and all people to explore our collection and
experiment creatively as well as impry collections care for the Library’s 25,000 historic books and archives.
The Portico Library first opened in 1806 played a central role in Manchester’s rise as the world’s first modern city. The Reunited project will ensure the building not only survives, but thrives, as the UK’s most sustainable historic library.
Dr Thom Keep, Librarian & Chief Execu-ve of the Por-co Library, said:
“Por-co Reunited is about more than restoring a building. It’s about opening doors – to stories, ideas, heritage and communi-es across Greater Manchester.
These plans secure the Portico’s future, unlocking the power of heritage to inspire Manchester’s visitors and residents to explore, share, and celebrate their stories and the city’s literary and global heritage.”
If approved, the Library will close for around 18 months for construction, during which it will continue to engage the public through its ‘Portigo !’ pop-up programme.
