Manchester Royal Exchange (Architectural Competition)

MANCHESTER. - At the last meeting of the Manchester Royal Exchange. Ltd., Sir Arthur Haworth, the chairman of the company, stated that it was proposed to start the building of the cotton exchange extensions on September 1 next. At present there were some forty nine architects (of whom twelve were specially invited) engaged in the competition, and the last day for sending in the plans was January 2 (to day, Friday). It was expected that by the middle of January the assessor, Mr J S Gibson, of London, would have given his award and the successful architect appointed. He hoped that the extension would be completed by May, 1916. [Building News 2 January 1914 Page 42]

MANCHESTER ROYAL EXCHANGE - The board of directors of the Manchester Royal Exchange, at their last meeting (Sir Arthur Haworth, chairman, presiding), adopted the recommendation of their assessor. Mr J. S. Gibson, FRIBA, on the designs sent in by thirty seven competitors for the rebuilding of the Exchange as follows: 1st Messrs Bradshaw, Gass, and Hope. 19, Silverwell Street, Bolton: 2nd Mr T. Edwin Cooper, 4. Verulam buildings, Gray's Inn, London. WC; 3rd Messrs Thomas Halliday and Claude Paterson, 14, John Dalton Street, Manchester. The winners of the second and third places will each receive a premium of 100 guineas.

Dealing with the accepted plans, the directors have suggested a few alterations which, in their judgment, will add to the worth and dignity of the structure. The general scheme proposed by Messrs Bradshaw Gass, and Hope will give over 60 per cent, more floor space on one level for each member of the Exchange than is now available. There will be nearly 6,700 square yards of floor space, which it is confidently believed will suffice fully for the needs of the next fifty years. The estimated cost of the scheme is £600,000, one third being for buildings, and two thirds for land, buildings to be taken down and compensation for disturbance of tenants All the occupants of the buildings that are to be destroyed on the southern part  of Bank street are to be out by 24 June next. Then the work of demolition will begin, and on 1 September the builders will begin the erection of the new structure. It is hoped that the building will be completed within eighteen months from the start. The alterations to the existing Exchange will not be taken in hand until such time as the members can be accommodated in the extension. Then, when the old and new buildings are joined together, there will be an abundant of space. [Building News 23 January 1914 Page 118]

MANCHESTER ROYAL EXCHANGE COMPETITION. The number of designs submitted was surprisingly small for an open competition for such an important building, only thirty seven sets being received, and these included seven from architects who were specially invited to compete, and who received an honorarium of one hundred guineas each. No doubt this was partly due to the fact, that there were several other important competitions open at the same time, and also that the problem to be solved was an exceedingly difficult one, is the work consisted of extensions to an existing building of a very complicated nature and awkward shape. In addition, the proposal to erect a building containing the Exchange, Art Gallery, and Library on the Piccadilly site has been so persistently mooted during the last few years that there may have been a suspicion that this competition might, have a similar result to that of the recent apparently abortive one for the Art Gallery and Library alone. It appears now, however, as though the opposition to the scheme for extending the present buildings has been overcome, and that the design selected in this competition will be carried out. The present Exchange is surrounded by streets on all its four sides. Bank street, which now forms the southern boundary of the building, is to be built over and form part of the site for the proposed extensions, its place being taken by a passage, 18ft. wide and 12ft. high, running through the building. The first floor is the principal one, and consists of a lofty hall, or exchange, surrounded on three sides by several stories of offices for letting purposes, the remaining side (Cross street) being occupied by a large projecting portico, which is to be removed for street widening purposes. The ground floor comprises shops, restaurants, etc., under which are several basement stories used as warehouses. The main object of the extension is to provide a large addition to the floor area of the Exchange, and it was essential that this should be as free from columns or other obstructions as possible. It was, of course, desirable that the existing buildings should not be unduly interfered with, and the scheme also included the entire remodelling of the present offices for letting, which are very badly arranged, together with the provision of as large a number of additional ones as possible. Still, as stated above, the Exchange was the dominant point, the rest being comparatively unimportant. It was in this respect that the majority of the competitors failed. Many of them cut up tho Exchange badly by providing internal areas to light the rooms below, although it was permissible for this to be done by means of pavement lights in the Exchange floor. Others spoilt their designs by endeavouring to avoid any great disturbance of the existing work. This was essentially a competition in which a bold course was necessary, and the only hope of obtaining a satisfactory and symmetrical scheme lay in sweeping away a good portion of the old work.

MESSRS BRADSHAW, GASS, AND HOPE, whose design was placed first by the assessor, Mr J. S. Gibson, are to be congratulated on their skilful solution of a very difficult problem. The chief feature of their scheme is the splendid Exchange. The new portion of this exactly balances the old, and is similarly roofed by three domes, while the space between the two main halls - the weak point in most of the designs C has few obstructions, and is carried up the full height of the remainder, so that the Exchange would really appear as one large hall. The majority of the designs showed what were practically two lofty rooms with a low, top-lighted portion between. This method certainly improved the rooms beneath, which were lighted by pavement lights in the Exchange floor; but it greatly detracted from the appearance of the Exchange itself. In any case, as the Exchange is very crowded at busy times, little light would penetrate through these pavement lights, and artificial light would be necessary in the passage and shops, etc., below. Another good feature of this design is the arrangement of the Exchange entrances, which are placed in the centre of the Exchange street and Cross street facades, and have a straight flight, of steps leading direct from the street to the exchange floor. The best which one can say of the existing elevations is that they are inoffensive. They have a large Corinthian Order, but are quite devoid of interest, while the detail is deplorably poor. The design, as remodelled, shows a decided improvement, the two main facades having a bold central feature, with well emphasised entrances. There is, perhaps, a little over-elaboration of detail, and the low tower and squat dome at the corner of Exchange street and the new street may be hardly a success. There is no doubt, however, that the assessor's award is the correct one. The design is easily the best in the competition. [Building News 23 January 1914 Page 110-111]

Reference    Building News 2 January 1914 Page 42
Reference    Building News 23 January 1914  Page 110-111
Reference    Building News 23 January 1914  Page 118