Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Bridgewater Hall is another of Manchester’s impressive array of esteemed modern concert halls. The venue opened in 1996 at the southern end of the city centre, directly opposite Manchester Central. Bridgewater Hall is the city’s premier venue for classical performances, and was constructed as a replacement for the Free Trade Hall, which was damaged by German bombs in World War 2 and never returned to its former glory.

Local architects Renton Howard Wood Levin designed the building, which aimed to create a perfect acoustic environment for classical recitals. The hall was built on noise reducing foundations, which cut out noise from nearby traffic and tram services. The architects also created a basin from the nearby Rochdale canal to give the hall a waterside location. Bridgewater Hall cost 42 million pounds to build, but has proved worthy of the expense, hosting up to 250 classical performances each year.

Bridgewater Hall is the home of Manchester’s renowned Halle orchestra, and Manchester Boys’ Choir. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra also hold regular recitals at the hall. Bridgewater Hall is surrounded by bars, restaurants and galleries in an artistic corner of the city close to Deansgate railway station, and is one of the standout successes of the city’s recent regeneration plans.