Mather & Co, a leading visitor attraction and exhibition design consultancy, has been selected to engage future visitors with the story of Manchester Town Hall, following a competitive tender process.
The firm will oversee the experience design, content, and interpretation of a new visitor experience in the city centre, which forms an iconic backdrop to Manchester’s popular Christmas markets each year.
Considered one of the finest English examples of neo-Gothic architecture, the Town Hall was formally opened in 1877. The building has been closed to the public since 2018 as the ‘Our Town Hall’ project is carried out, one of the largest heritage schemes in the UK.
Bringing history alive
Whilst the building is being repaired, restored and preserved for future generations, it is also being sympathetically upgraded to comply with current safety and access standards.
Mather & Co managing director Sarah Clarke says: “We want visitors of all ages to experience the story of the Town Hall using their senses, through discovery, experimentation, hidden reveals, exploration, and play.
“We do not want this experience to be a museum, we want to create a memorable experience with personality.”
The major project revolves around explaining the Town Hall’s story based on people who played key roles in its long history.
A valuable collection of objects associated with the site will also be displayed in an immersive and interactive way that is accessible to visitors.
“Mancunian masterpiece”
Councillor Luthfur Rahman, deputy Leader of Manchester City Council says: “The Our Town Hall project is not just about protecting, preserving and carefully improving this Mancunian masterpiece. It is also very much about making it more inviting and accessible for everyone.
“This new attraction will open up this beloved building as a destination – giving visitors the chance to explore its fascinating heritage, see more of its collections and learn the fascinating and sometimes surprising stories behind them. It will be a welcome addition to Manchester’s varied cultural scene.
“We welcome the appointment of Mather & Co and once their plans are more developed we look forward to sharing more details of what people can see when Manchester Town Hall reopens.”
The designers say that visitors to the all-new experience can expect something that “unashamedly represents Manchester” with a one-of-a-kind interactive and immersive experience. The attraction is scheduled to open in 2024.
Last week, Mather & Co announced that ‘The Open Era’ gallery has opened at Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, which celebrates five key components of the championships.
