Manchester Central Convention Centre
Subscribe now to instantly view this image
Subscribe to the Architects’ Journal (AJ) for instant access to the AJ Buildings Library, an online database of nearly 2,000 exemplar buildings in photographs, plans, elevations and details.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
The convention centre addresses a new public space
Peter Cook/View (website) Download Original
Conference center containing 800-seat auditorium, 1800m2 banqueting and exhibition hall, together with associated meeting rooms, foyers and back of house facilities
The main auditorium is relatively modest in scale, its form acoustically tailored to speech, not music. The other principal space in the building, a multi-purpose hall is ideal for exhibitions, large banquets and shows but not intended to compete with the existing larger hall formerly known as G-Mex, which is nearby.
The straightforward diagram of the building is completed by a linking tower containing plant, WCs, staircases and lifts.
Data
- Begun: Jan 1999
- Completed: Dec 2000
- Floor area: 8,531m2
- Sector: Arts and culture
- Total cost: £21M
- Procurement: JCT81
- Address: Manchester Central Convention Centre, Petersfield, Manchester, M2 3GX , United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Stephenson Bell Architects, Sheppard Robson
- Project architects: David Green, David Sinister, Richard Young, Roger Stephenson
- Client: Manchester City Council
- Structural engineer: Ove Arup
- Main contractor: Carillion Building
- Building control: Manchester City Council
- M&E engineer: Arup
- Quantity surveyor: Davis Langdon
- Acoustic consultant: Arup Acoustics
Suppliers
- Curtain walling: MagHansen
- Metalwork & Balustrading: F&J Hauck Ltd
- Roofing: Corus Distribution & Building Systems
- Acoustic partitions: Monowa Manufacturing
- Glazed screen: Neslo Interior Systems
- Ceramic tiles: Ashcroft(Wall & Floor Tilers) Ltd