Bridgewater Hall

Proposals to replace the concert venue in the Free Trade Hall were made after it was damaged in the Second World War, but the hall, which was home to The Hallé orchestra was repaired and renovated in the 1950s. Despite being a popular venue, the Free Trade Hall, built in the 1850s, had poor acoustics and outdated audience facilities. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, several schemes to replace it were considered but the project became more likely in 1988 after the creation of the Central Manchester Development Corporation. The Bridgewater Hall held its first concert on 11 September 1996 and was officially opened on 4 December by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. The concert hall…

Construction of the hall was a joint venture between Manchester City Council and the Central Manchester Development Corporation; the project received significant funding from the European Regional Development Fund. The architects were RHWL and the builders were John Laing. The acoustics were designed by Rob Harris of Arup Acoustics in close consultation with the hall's intended musician residents. Arup were the building engineers. The main auditorium sits on a foundation of earthquake-proof isolation bearings that insulate it from noise and vibration from the adjacent road and Metrolink line. The hall's 26,500 tonne superstructure rests on 280 GERB isolation bearings consisting of rows of…