Top architectural sightseeing and landmarks of Manchester - ideas on city exploration routes

» Manchester Town Hall is one of the main attractions in Manchester. It was decided to construct a new town hall in 1863 because the old one did not suit the developing town.
»  The famous architect Alfred Waterhouse built a building in 1877 in the New Gothic style. There are almost no decorative elements on its facade. An 85-meter tower with a clock and 23 bells rises above the Town Hall.
»  Although it looks like an old construction, it has all amenities: heating, lighting, and ventilation. These systems are hidden and decorated.
»  The interior is distinguished by frescoes depicting scenes on various themes: religion, trade, and manufacture. There are also sculptures of famous residents of Manchester.
»  At the entrance to the Town Hall, there is a sculpture of the founder of Manchester, General Agricola.
»  The Town Hall was shot in several films.

» Central Library is the headquarters of all libraries and information services of Manchester. It was built in 1934.
»  Designed by the architect E. Vincent Harris, the building resembles the Roman Pantheon. Its roof is a round glass dome. You can enter the library through a huge arch with columns. Right behind it, there is a high hall. On its ceiling, you can see English arms and wonderful patterns.
»  After the renovation and refurbishment that cost £50 million, the library was re-opened in 2014.
»  On each floor, there is a computer that displays the information you are interested in, the map of the library, and the detailed description of all rooms.
»  In the reading room, natural light comes through the glass dome.
»  The total length of all the shelves is 56 km.
»  There is also the Henry Watson Music Library.

» Old Trafford Stadium has been the home of Manchester United since 1910. It is the second largest stadium after Wembley.
»  In 1941, the German air forces raided Manchester. As a result, a part of the stadium was destroyed. The stadium has been reconstructed and extended for many years. Finally, it can seat up to 80 000 spectators.
»  In 2010, the stadium reached the age of 100. In commemoration of this event, a memory capsule was put by descendants of those footballers who played the first match at the stadium.
»  In November 2011, the North Stand was renamed after Alex Ferguson who had been the head coach of the club for 25 years. In April 2016, the South Stand was named after Sir Bobby Charlton who became a world champion and won the Ballon d'Or in 1966. During the Olympic Games in 2012, several football matches were held at the stadium.
»  The sports ground also served as a concert stage where such popular singers, as Bon Jovi, Genesis, Bruce Springsteen, Status Quo, Rod Stewart, and Simply Red, performed.

» The Imperial War Museum North in Manchester is the fifth branch of the London Museum. Exactly this museum was seriously damaged by German bombs.
»  The famous architect Daniel Libeskind has designed an impressive museum building. The construction lasted from 1997 to 2001.
»  The building consists of three separate sectors that symbolize a broken globe. The museum collection includes artifacts telling about the First and Second World Wars.
»  The main purpose of the exhibition is to show the damaging impact of wars on human life. On the website of the museum, you can see these words: “It is more a world museum than a war museum.
»  At the entrance, there are the Soviet T34 tank and the English AV8a plane. They played a big role in the Second World War.
»  The walls of all halls are deep red, which symbolizes the blood spilled during military operations. The core of the collection is letters, photos, and belongings of ordinary people. The main purpose of museum founders was to show human destinies but not confrontations between countries.

» The Midland Hotel is the oldest in the city. It was built in 1903.
»  The hotel was designed by Charles Trubshaw and resembles palaces of the 20th century. The building still impresses with its festive appearance. The interior is designed in the classical sophisticated style.
»  At the hotel, there was a theatre that seated 1 000 spectators. Here, opera and drama plays were staged. The string quartet performs on the roof of the hotel.
»  Over the years of its history, many famous people stayed here. In November 1959, Queen Elizabeth had dinner at the hotel restaurant after catching a show. Winston Churchill made a political speech here. On 1 May 1904, Frederick Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls met at the restaurant. As a result, the car company Rolls-Royce was founded.