Renold Building
Encyclopedia
The Renold Building is a university building in Manchester
. It was opened on November 23, 1962 for the Manchester College of Science and Technology (later UMIST) as part of a major expansion of its campus in the 1960s. The architect was W.A.Gibbon of the firm of Cruikshank and Seward. The foundation stone was laid on June 24, 1960 by Sir Charles Renold
J.P. LL.D (1883–1967), Vice President of the college, and chairman of the planning and development committee, after whom it was named.
, consists of a two-storey base supporting a six-storey tower. There is a large glass-sided stair tower on the side. Inside is an entrance hall on two levels with a large mural titled Metamorphosis, by Victor Pasmore
.
The Renold Building contains a number of lecture halls of differing sizes, including a 500-seat theatre, two 300-seat theatres, and five 140-seat theatres. According to Pevsner's Architectural Guide, "The idea was to provide a central facility for rooms that would otherwise have been dispersed amongst separate departmental buildings. This was a new initiative in British academic planning at that time."
The building also contains seminar rooms and exhibition spaces. It overlooks a green space in the centre of what was the UMIST Campus which was originally a bowling green. For this reason a bar in the Renold Building was named the Bowling Green Tavern. The building no longer has a bar, but instead has a Rock music
-themed cafe. Although the building has attracted some criticism, in January 2008 it narrowly missed out on being awarded listed status.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. It was opened on November 23, 1962 for the Manchester College of Science and Technology (later UMIST) as part of a major expansion of its campus in the 1960s. The architect was W.A.Gibbon of the firm of Cruikshank and Seward. The foundation stone was laid on June 24, 1960 by Sir Charles Renold
Charles Garonne Renold
Sir Charles Garonne Renold J.P. LL.D , was a British engineer and pioneer of management science. Born in Altrincham, he was the son of Hans Renold, a Swiss born engineer and businessman. He became chairman of the company his father started Renold Chains and Gears in Manchester later to become...
J.P. LL.D (1883–1967), Vice President of the college, and chairman of the planning and development committee, after whom it was named.
Overview
The building, which is made of concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, consists of a two-storey base supporting a six-storey tower. There is a large glass-sided stair tower on the side. Inside is an entrance hall on two levels with a large mural titled Metamorphosis, by Victor Pasmore
Victor Pasmore
Edwin John Victor Pasmore was a British artist and architect. He pioneered the development of abstract art in Britain in the 1940s and 1950s.-Biography:...
.
The Renold Building contains a number of lecture halls of differing sizes, including a 500-seat theatre, two 300-seat theatres, and five 140-seat theatres. According to Pevsner's Architectural Guide, "The idea was to provide a central facility for rooms that would otherwise have been dispersed amongst separate departmental buildings. This was a new initiative in British academic planning at that time."
The building also contains seminar rooms and exhibition spaces. It overlooks a green space in the centre of what was the UMIST Campus which was originally a bowling green. For this reason a bar in the Renold Building was named the Bowling Green Tavern. The building no longer has a bar, but instead has a Rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
-themed cafe. Although the building has attracted some criticism, in January 2008 it narrowly missed out on being awarded listed status.
Sources
- Pevsner Architectural Guides — Manchester, Clare Hartwell, ISBN 0-14-071131-7