In preparation for the start of any construction work, the historic collection of heritage items and artworks has been relocated, either on loan to other venues so that it can remain on public display, or held for the duration of the works in storage.
A small number of items, including some large sculptures and pieces of furniture, will remain in the Town Hall but will be boxed-in for protection.
A conservation programme for the Town Hall Collection has already begun, with cleaning and conservation work on the 34 sculptures that have been removed and loaned to other Manchester sites. The longer term programme will identify items that are priorities for conservation, based on their significance and future interpretation potential, and will be completed by specialist freelancers and Manchester Art Gallery’s conservation department.
Preparations for returning the collection to the Town Hall will include - wherever possible - as much of the furniture, paintings and sculpture being reinstated into publicly accessible areas of the building. Highlights of the collection will also be displayed in a dedicated visitor centre as part of a rolling schedule of themed displays.
We're planning a series of Heritage Lectures, from some of the experts that are helping to conserve parts of the building. The first of these was delivered by Hirst Conservation in November 2022, the second was from Mosaic Restoration in February 2023 and there will be more to come! Find out more about the Heritage Lectures.
