City news: Science and Industry Museum’s iconic Air and Space Hall to close

The Science and Industry Museum and the Manchester City Council announced this week that the venue will no longer lease the historic Lower Campfield Market Hall building which once housed the iconic Air and Space Hall. Director of the project, Sally Mcdonald, states “the decision to vacate our lease has not been easy but it’s the right thing to do for our visitors, the building and the city.”

While the ethically responsible decision to now pass the building back to Manchester City Council ready for its next chapter has been made, the museum is still proud to announce their completion of a new £5 million Special Exhibitions Gallery which over 20, 000 visitors have already enjoyed.

Alongside an £11.3 million investment in their superb Power Hall, due to reopen in 2023, the rest of the 7-acre museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration programme to carry out crucial conservation and renovation work across its listed buildings and structures. In revealing new spaces and perspectives for all visitors to enjoy, the museum is bringing to life the story of the site while creating a more sustainable museum.

The world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station and the world’s first-ever railway goods warehouse, as well as well-loved objects from the collections, will still be available to view, with collections including the historic 1905 Rolls-Royce motor car used by Henry Royce himself, which is currently on display in the Revolution Manchester gallery. Key stories – such as how Manchester’s motor manufacturers have used progressive methods to produce some of the most iconic cars to have motored on our roads (including the Ford Model T) – as well as the city’s thrilling history of cycling innovation and triumphs (including bicycles dating from the 1800s) will also continue to be told in future displays at the museum.

With two Grade I and four Grade II listed buildings on site, it’s clear why the globally significant museum belongs to one of the most significant groups of museums of science and innovation worldwide. Accompanied by a family of museums that include the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon and the Science and Media Museum in Bradford – it’s of no surprise that over five million visitors each year come to view an unrivalled collection in such a culturally rich and historic space.

Additionally, the museum’s historic New Warehouse which houses the Revolution Manchester, Textiles, Experiment, and Special Exhibition galleries will remain open with an ever-changing programme of major special exhibitions including the latest Top Secret: From Ciphers to Cyber Security and Use Hearing Protection: The Early Years of Factory Records.

 

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