The Lowry
Encyclopedia
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays
, in Salford
, Greater Manchester
, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry
, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England
. The complex was officially opened on 12 October 2000 by Queen Elizabeth II.
, Salford City Council developed a regeneration plan in 1988 for the brownfield site which highlighted the leisure, cultural and tourism potential of the area and included a flagship development which would involve the creation of a performing arts centre. The initial proposals were for two theatres and an art gallery on a prominent site on Pier 8.
Between 1990 and 1991 a competition was launched and architects James Stirling Michael Wilford Associates was selected.
After Sir James Stirling's death in June 1992 Michael Wilford continued the project. The city council bid for Millennium and other British and European funds and private sector finance to progress the project. Funding was secured in 1996 and The Lowry Trust became responsible for the project which comprised The Lowry Centre, the plaza, a footbridge, a retail outlet shopping mall and Digital World Centre. The National Lottery
provided over £21 million of funding towards its construction. The project was completed in 1999 at a cost of £106 million. The Lowry name was adopted in honour of the local artist, L S Lowry.
The complex is located close to the Imperial War Museum North
and the Old Trafford
football stadium. It is served by the MediaCityUK stop on the Metrolink
tram network. In 2010 and 2011 it was Greater Manchester's most visited tourist attraction.
and constructed by Buro Happold
. It is built on a triangular site at the end of Pier 8 and is triangular in plan. A promenade encircles the building providing views of the Manchester Ship Canal
and wider Salford Quays
developments.
The foyer faces the public plaza where there is a large aerofoil canopy at the entrance clad with perforated steel and illuminated from inside at night. Much of the building is clad in stainless steel and glass.
The Lowry was described as "not quite 'Salford's Guggenheim'... It is ultimately too small and too well behaved... although there are obvious shared aims", a reference to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
, which was built for similar reasons.
The Lowry footbridge which spans the ship canal was designed by Carlos Fernandez Casado and built by Parkmans of Salford. it is a lift bridge with a lattice work superstructure.
. The Lyric Theatre has the largest stage in the United Kingdom outside London
's West End
.
The complex contains 2000m² of gallery space which display the L.S. Lowry and other collections. The Artworks Creativity Gallery, designed and implemented by architects, Reich-Petch, uses multimedia to encourage visitor participation and interaction with exhibits to transform gallery space.
In 2005 The Lowry brought its ticketing operation in-house to generate additional revenue to support its work. The Lowry created Quaytickets, which also promotes and sells tickets for smaller arts organisations and Manchester International Festival
.
Salford Quays
Salford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
, in Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry
L. S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road , opposite St...
, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. The complex was officially opened on 12 October 2000 by Queen Elizabeth II.
Background
In order to redevelop the derelict Manchester DocksManchester Docks
Manchester Dock and similar can mean:*"Manchester Docks" is another name for Salford Docks in Greater Manchester, England*Manchester Dock , an old dock in Liverpool, England...
, Salford City Council developed a regeneration plan in 1988 for the brownfield site which highlighted the leisure, cultural and tourism potential of the area and included a flagship development which would involve the creation of a performing arts centre. The initial proposals were for two theatres and an art gallery on a prominent site on Pier 8.
Between 1990 and 1991 a competition was launched and architects James Stirling Michael Wilford Associates was selected.
After Sir James Stirling's death in June 1992 Michael Wilford continued the project. The city council bid for Millennium and other British and European funds and private sector finance to progress the project. Funding was secured in 1996 and The Lowry Trust became responsible for the project which comprised The Lowry Centre, the plaza, a footbridge, a retail outlet shopping mall and Digital World Centre. The National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
provided over £21 million of funding towards its construction. The project was completed in 1999 at a cost of £106 million. The Lowry name was adopted in honour of the local artist, L S Lowry.
The complex is located close to the Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum North is a museum in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. One of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum, the museum explores the impact of modern conflicts on people and society. It is the first branch of the Imperial War Museum to be...
and the Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
football stadium. It is served by the MediaCityUK stop on the Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
tram network. In 2010 and 2011 it was Greater Manchester's most visited tourist attraction.
Design and construction
Ground breaking took place on 19 June 1997 for the complex designed by Michael WilfordMichael Wilford
Michael Wilford CBE is an English architect from Hartfield, East Sussex. Wilford studied at the Northern Polytechnic School of Architecture, London, from 1955 to 1962, and at the Regent Street Polytechnic Planning School, London, in 1967...
and constructed by Buro Happold
Buro Happold
Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment, with its head office in Bath, Somerset...
. It is built on a triangular site at the end of Pier 8 and is triangular in plan. A promenade encircles the building providing views of the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
and wider Salford Quays
Salford Quays
Salford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
developments.
The foyer faces the public plaza where there is a large aerofoil canopy at the entrance clad with perforated steel and illuminated from inside at night. Much of the building is clad in stainless steel and glass.
The Lowry was described as "not quite 'Salford's Guggenheim'... It is ultimately too small and too well behaved... although there are obvious shared aims", a reference to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
, which was built for similar reasons.
The Lowry footbridge which spans the ship canal was designed by Carlos Fernandez Casado and built by Parkmans of Salford. it is a lift bridge with a lattice work superstructure.
Theatres and galleries
At the core of the complex, are two theatres, a drama studio, restaurants, cafe and shop. The Lyric Theatre has 1,730 seats while the Quays has 466. The theatres host touring plays, comedy and musical events and Opera NorthOpera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle...
. The Lyric Theatre has the largest stage in the United Kingdom outside London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
.
The complex contains 2000m² of gallery space which display the L.S. Lowry and other collections. The Artworks Creativity Gallery, designed and implemented by architects, Reich-Petch, uses multimedia to encourage visitor participation and interaction with exhibits to transform gallery space.
In 2005 The Lowry brought its ticketing operation in-house to generate additional revenue to support its work. The Lowry created Quaytickets, which also promotes and sells tickets for smaller arts organisations and Manchester International Festival
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is an international cultural festival of original new work, held in the English city of Manchester. It is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009 and 2011...
.