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How has Manchester been regenerated and reimaged over the

past 25 years?

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Castlefield (CBD):

Manchester Central Convention Complex

The Bridgewater Hall

Beetham Tower

3. Hulme (Inner City):

History of the Hulme and the Crescents

i. Demolishment of the Crescents, Regeneration and Effects

4. Salford Quays

History of Manchester Docks and Salford Quays

The Lowry

MediaCityUK

5. 1996 Manchester IRA Bomb

History of City Centre and Bomb Effect:

i. Regeneration of City Centre

a. The Printworks

b. The Arndale

6. Suburban Manchester

Competition to City Centre

i. The Trafford Centre

Manchester Airport

Transport and Metrolink

Extension

7. Conclusion

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1. Introduction "By no stretch of the imagination is Manchester a picturesque

city. It is however, emphatically if unconventionally beautiful.

In common with all things beautiful...It is fundamentally

flawed.”

Chris Lethbridge 1994

Over the past 25 years Manchester has undergone extensive regeneration and reimaging.

Regeneration first began in the late 1980s, this was full of ideas such as a new Metrolink, the Manchester Evening News Arena and the reimaging of several areas in the Central Business District (CBD) and the inner-city including Castlefield and Hulme respectively.

In 1996 the IRA let off the largest bomb in mainland Britain since World War Two in Manchester City Centre. This caused no deaths but destroyed a large part of the City Centre and the sound of the blast could be

heard from eight miles away. The bomb led to extensive rebuilding in the city centre and rebranded it from what was once a ‘concrete jungle.’ In 1988 the Central Manchester Development Corporation (CMDC) was set up- it was an urban development corporation. It aimed to regenerate old

disused industrial land- known as brownfield sites- in the City Centre which stretched from Piccadilly in the East to Castlefield on the Western edge of the CBD. The scheme was dissolved in 1996- the same year as the IRA bomb. Many people say that the bomb had a “silver lining” and that without it the regeneration of Manchester would not have occurred- however the regeneration of Manchester was already happening and the bomb was simply another catalyst that drove this project to give us the Manchester we have today. Raahim Zafar 2011

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2. Castlefield

Castlefield is an area in Manchester’s CBD and houses a fort from the Roman era- Mamuciam. It is from this fort that Manchester began to grow outwards to become the massive conurbation it is today.

The CMDC had several major successes in this area during its eight years of operations in Manchester’s core

The first of these was the G-Mex (now known as Manchester Central Convention Complex.) The G-Mex -which stood for Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre- was built on the disused site of the former Manchester Central Station. The station closed

in 1969 and was listed as a Grade I building. The centre once held massive concerts but has since become a multi-purpose exhibition hall. The centre has helped raise the profile as after the International Convention Centre was added to it, Manchester has held several important national, political conferences including two Labour Party annual conferences and two Conservative Party annual conferences in the past four years. Furthermore, Manchester Central also has

the second largest unsupported arched roof in Britain making it a major visitor attraction.

After the building of the G-Mex, developers noticed an area of unused land next the Rochdale Canal. Here this massive, international concert venue was built in 1996 and was named the Bridgewater Hall. It cost £42 million and holds over 250 performances annually. The building was built on 280 springs which helped reduce external noise- these are so well made that during the 1996 bomb explosion- which could be heard from eight miles away- no-one working in this building heard the blast which was less than one mile away. This modern building helped give Castlefield an aesthetically pleasing look. It is often used by schools and universities for events such as presentation evenings (The Manchester Grammar School) and graduation (Manchester Metropolitan University). It is also home to a £1.2 million organ and the Hallé Orchestra. The Bridgewater Hall has brought national investment to Manchester’s CBD.

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Finally, the most recent development in the area of Castlefield is the Beetham Tower. The tallest building in Manchester and the tallest building in the UK outside London, this tower is home to the Hilton Hotel up to the 23rd floor- a bar known as “Cloud 23”- and the rest of the 47 floors are made up of luxury apartments. The Beetham tower’s construction was completed in 2006.

The tower was built on an old train viaduct; this was demolished in March 2004. It cost £150 million to build and stands as a modern spike in the centre of a very red-brick area of Manchester.

The tower is also a major visitor attraction as it is also the tallest residential building in the whole of Europe.

Overall, Castlefield has been massively

reimaged from its derelict former red-brick image to a modern and up-to-date commercial centre in Manchester for both national and international events. Furthermore, these developments have provided thousands of jobs in Castlefield and made it an area which is much better regarded by the public of both Manchester and the UK.

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3. Hulme

Hulme is an area in Manchester’s inner-city ring just south of the CBD. It first became important for Manchester after the Industrial Revolution where the population of Hulme increased by 50 times in the first half of the 19th Century. There were many factories in Hulme which meant many workers. Due to the high influx of workers to the area, a cheap and quick solution needed to be made for the housing problem. This solution was end-to-end terraced houses. These houses were not only dim and unattractive but had many other problems; the high density along with industrial pollution led to disease and a general low quality of life. Overall, Hulme had poor sanitation, old houses, and high density accommodation with large levels of pollution.

In the 1960s the council decided to build blocks known as “Crescents.” These buildings were made so as to provide accommodation for the 130’000 high population of Hulme. They were built on the site of demolished terraced homes and at first seemed a good thing. It was one of the first buildings to offer the relatively new concept of underfloor heating; however this became a problem in itself as it led to much vermin such as rats living in the heating systems. This was one of many flaws with the architecture; the highrise pathways were often riddled with people up to no good. Furthermore, these “decks” as they were known were not classified as streets by the police and hence, they were not patrolled- at all.

These crescents won many awards near the beginning of their creation but by the time they were sentenced to be demolished, everyone was happy and it was seen as an opportunity to rebuild and rebrand Hulme for the wider community.

So, the crescents were demolished, and regeneration began. The crescents were demolished in the mid-1990s.

Hulme now has new, modern looking homes with aesthetically pleasing features. Furthermore, the regeneration has also included large green spaces and tried to limit the

amount of alleys and dark areas so as to reduce crime. Most homes now have front yards so as to make it clear if someone is attempting a break in. An example of a large green space would be the new 15 acre Hulme Park which has given the community a place to go and made the area more environmentally friendly.

The economy has also improved massively with the introduction of new businesses in the area giving job opportunities- Asda is one example of this for it opened with 300 jobs.

But perhaps the most important change to Hulme was the building of the Hulme Arch Bridge. This bridge- the shape of which is reminiscent of the long demolished crescents- which goes over Princess Road connects the once “cut off” Hulme to the rest of Manchester.

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4. Salford Quays

Manchester Docks were established as the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. The docks closed in 1982 and were bought by Salford Council in 1984 as a derelict

brownfield site. In 1985 a project began to rebrand the area as “Salford Quays”- this included the prospect of large leisure, residential and commercial areas; it was the UK’s first and possibly largest urban regeneration project.

On the harbour of the former docklands building began. An internal waterway network was created, several bridges were installed and

many buildings were built all of which were modern looking- Salford Quays had been born.

The Lowry was an early idea by redevelopers- an landmark arts centre along with a shopping centre. The complex holds a gallery which contains the early 20th Century works of L.S. Lowry- these are striking paintings of Salford’s industrial era- and also contains a theatre which regularly holds plays. The X Factor’s regional auditions also regularly come to the Lowry when in Manchester. The Lowry Outlet Mall has introduced major brands to the area including Marks & Spencer and an Esporta health club. Overall, the Lowry has been a major success bringing in national investment and interest to a once dilapidated area of the city including the 2011 Royal Variety Performance bringing the event back to Manchester for the first time since 1959.

MediaCityUK is a 200 acre property used by several different broadcasters including the BBC and ITV. The building began in 2007 and was completed in 2010. In 2011 the first television programs and crews began to transfer to the MediaCity, these crews included those of BBC Breakfast and a lot of the BBC Sports department. Up to a thousand jobs may be created by the time the BBC completes it move up North. Furthermore, there is a chance of further investment as the BBC may move one of its two major channels- BBC One or BBC Two- to Salford Quays. MediaCityUK ultimately is a major stepping stone for Manchester as a global city- now with economic influence over one of the country’s most prized assets- the BBC.

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5. 1996 IRA Bomb

The IRA was an Irish Republican military organisation which aimed to bring Ireland and Northern Ireland together as one, united republican state- the latter of which was under British control. Therefore, to achieve this it attempted to strike fear in the British government with many terrorist attacks in mainland Britain- the largest of these was the one in Manchester’s City Centre in 1996.

Before the bomb, Manchester’s city centre was a series of grey concrete buildings with no artistic or visual appeal whatsoever. After the bomb, the entire Arndale centre remained closed for several years until it was completely rebuilt- much of it including Marks & Spencer was completely demolished and rebuilt.

However, this cloud had a silver lining- a new modern Manchester rose from the ashes. The Manchester Arndale was rebuilt and expanded; the general urban area around the bomb site has now gone from the former Brutalist architecture to a contemporary glass dominant image- the most striking of which is the Channel M building near Manchester Victoria Station.

The Arndale has also brought much national and indeed, international businesses to Manchester- up-market brands such as Selfridges and international stores such as Hollister Co. - being one of only 26 Hollister stores in the UK. After the regeneration- the Arndale also became Europe’s largest city centre shopping centre. This regeneration has also led it to be a major attraction being the second most visited shopping centre in the UK in 2010.

The Printworks is another major success in the city centre. The building was once the home to a printing press but after the bomb was redeveloped. It opened in 2000 as a leisure area including a 23 screen Odeon cinema including an IMAX screen. Furthermore, the Printworks contains numerous cafes, bars and clubs on the ground floor outside, opposite the Arndale and inside- the cinema takes up the entire upper floors.

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6. Suburban Manchester

Over the past decade or so, Manchester’s suburban area and outer city has undergone major redevelopment- challenging the city centre for facilities.

The Trafford Centre- the UK’s largest shopping centre by size- was completed in 1998 after 27 months and over £750 million of modern day money going into it becoming Manchester’s main “out of town shopping centre.”

The land which now hold a 207,000m² shopping centre, was once a disused area owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company

The Trafford centre is the second largest shopping centre in terms of retail space in the UK but it also contains Europe’s largest food court- the Orient which contains 60 restaurants and seating for 1600 people.

Ever since its conception The Trafford Centre has remained as Manchester Arndale’s greatest challenge to compete with- with the latter under regeneration during the first few years of the Trafford Centre’s life. It boasts some unique features- the design ranges from Egyptian to Chinese and the food is from all sorts varying from Portuguese to American fast food chains- The Trafford Centre is truly an international site as it incorporates features from almost every culture in the world making its marketing prospects even wider- not that it needs any with over 35 million visitors every year! Entertainment includes the UK’s busiest cinema and a massive arcade centre including dodgems and bowling as well as amazing structural achievements such as the world’s largest chandelier in the Great Hall and three massive atria with glass domes covering them.

Overall, the Trafford Centre is still expanding with new areas such as Barton Square, it has brought brand new companies to Manchester, the three of the largest of which are Debenhams, John Lewis and Selfridges all high end department store. Ultimately it will continue to grow bringing in much economic profit for Manchester and pleasure to each person who visits this masterpiece every year.

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Manchester International Airport was rebranded as such in 1986 after serving as a RAF base since World War II. It was eventually extended so much with new terminals and runways that only the 25 years later it has now become the UK’s busiest airport outside of London in terms of passengers.

A second runway was built between 1997 and 2001 which increased the amount of flights to Manchester greatly. Furthermore, the airport is served by over 60 different airline companies travelling to every continent.

Manchester airport was also the world’s first airport to introduce the new controversial x-ray body scans as opposed to the traditional walking through a metal detector and being “patted-down”.

Manchester’s public transport system is well connected to all parts of the city. The

Oxford-Wilmslow Road bus corridor which runs directly from the city centre is supposedly the busiest bus route in the whole of Europe with a bus stopping at a bus station at least every two minutes,

Manchester has also built an extensive Metrolink (or tram) network all over the city and now plans are taking place to further extend it.

Extensive funding was still received even after the referendum for Manchester was voted against. The plans include converting the former Oldham Loop train line to light rail and extending the tram service to Rochdale town centre- this is expected to be partially completed in summer 2012 with the final station of Rochdale town centre being finished in 2014. Rochdale will also have a brand new public transport interchange built on a current brownfield site which is in fast progress at the moment. Furthermore, several rail stations (which also hold tramlines) have been proposed for renovation including Manchester Victoria Station. It has been proposed that over £500 million will be spent on the station- in which it snows inside annually- which (if the building application is accepted) will include a

brand new roof, using ETFE- the same material which was used when refurbishing Manchester Piccadilly Station for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The tramline is also set to move directly into the city’s shopping core- it will be extended onto Corporation Street with a stop in exchange square. Lines have already been extended into parts of East Manchester such as the Eastlands/Sportcity area. The construction will reach Droylsden by summer 2012 and Ashton-Under-Lyne by winter 2013.

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7. Conclusion

To answer the original question the first answer is, vastly, intricately and with immeasurable value for the city.

The city may have failed its 2000 Olympics bid because when it was bidding for it, the city was in the middle of being regenerated but it did gain the 2002 Commonwealth Games= these were the reason for the building of the now Etihad Stadium, Manchester Aquatics Centre and the Manchester Velodrome along with the upgrade of many other facilities in the city for visiting counties’ athletes. Sport has indeed been a great part of Manchester’s regenerations with the takeover of Manchester City F.C. by an Arab Sheikh leading to it becoming one of the best clubs in Europe and further increasing the investment in Manchester- a kind of agglomeration effect.

The 1996 “bomb regeneration” refreshed the Brutalist views in the city centre and made it a beautiful thing to look at. The economy is now helped a great deal by tourists who visit this spectacular, modern city centre and the Trafford Centre.

Specific projects in Castlefield and Hulme have shown how Manchester can be regenerated to such a high degree and surely, this regeneration is still going on- Bury being a prime example with a brand new shopping centre.

The developments such as Chinatown and the Gay Village on Canal Street have also become tourist attractions; this just shows how the diverse population in Manchester has given the city its own special flavour to give Manchester its irreplaceable charisma.

The Salford Quays regeneration scheme helped the city like no other has- it transformed a completely useless part of the city into an upmarket area- it has given Manchester a massive sense of pride and rightly so as all the regeneration attempt

over the past 25 year have all been building up to increasing the view of the public both in and outside of Manchester of its greatness. It is certain that now, after many years of blood, sweat and tears, Manchester has risen as the UK’s second city.

Surely, we can say that Manchester has a bright future; it will continue to grow and prosper

as it fights to become one of the world’s most important global cities. The scheme which is in control for redeveloping Manchester has the slogan “Original: Modern,” this fits in with the century old buildings being converted for modern uses with new glass buildings being erected alongside them.

Manchester is surely the pinnacle of British redevelopment; from a factory filled industrial land to a contemporary city which maintains its unique character.