Bridgewater Hall

The Bridgewater Hall is a concert venue in central Manchester. It stands beside the Rochdale Canal on a specially built arm of water. The hall replaced an older concert hall damaged in the Second World War. Its design came from a competition won by RHWL architects in the 1990s. The building rests on 280 steel springs to block outside noise. It is named after the Duke who created the Bridgewater Canal nearby. The hall hosts more than 250 performances each year. It is home to the Hallé Orchestra, founded 165 years ago. The BBC Philharmonic and Hallé Youth Orchestra also perform there regularly. The organ inside has 5,500 pipes and cost £1.2 million. A polished marble sculpture called Ishinki Touchstone weighs 18 tonnes and stands outside. Inside, the auditorium seats 2,341 people across four tiers. The walls use deep red sandstone and Jura limestone. A double-skinned steel roof covers the space. Outside, Barbirolli Square holds a bust of the conductor Sir John Barbirolli. The hall’s concrete structure was shaped like a vast sculpture.