Building Name

Manchester Royal Infirmary: North Wing

Date
1849 - 1850
Street
Piccadilly
District/Town
Central, Manchester
County/Country
GMCA, England
Architect
Work
New Build

TO BUILDERS and OTHERS.—Parties desirous of CONTRACTING for the whole or for any portion of the several WORKS required in the erection of the North-wing and proposed Additions to the Manchester Royal Infirmary, may see the plans at the office of Mr. Lane, architect, Chapel Walks Tenders, sealed and endorsed, and addressed to be delivered on or before Saturday, the 18th of August, 1849.—The committee do not pledge themselves to accept the lowest tender. [Manchester Courier 4 August 1849 page 2]

THE NORTH WING OF THE MANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY – Our readers are generally aware that the demands for more accommodation have led to the remodelling of the whole. The lunatic hospital and the baths were wholly removed; and the dispensary accommodated temporarily until more space could be found. The irregular front, consisting of a centre and one wing, each having a front portico of different size, was altered by the removal of the wing, and the adoption of a plan for lengthening the centre and adding two uniform wings, each having a side façade with portico, in character with that of the centre or principal front. Competition was invited in designs; anonymous ones were sent in, and the choice fell upon one which proved to be that of Mr Lane, architect, of Manchester, to whom we owe many of our ecclesiastical edifices and public buildings in this town and neighbourhood. The so-called south wing (in reality the east) was first commenced on the site of the Lunatic Hospital, and was opened for patients in August 1848. In the Guardian of the 19th of that month, we described fully its external appearance, and internal accommodation. The north wing, which owes such munificent aid to the benevolent kindness of Mademoiselle Jenny Lind, who gave two gratuitous concerts in aid of the funds for its erection.

The north wing is really the west or north west, its front facing Mosley Street. It is fast rising on the site formerly occupied by that wing of the building of the Infirmary which contained the rooms of the dispensary. Great progress is now making in the erection of this wing; satisfactory contracts having been entered into with competent parties. As a contrast to the old and slow mode of building, the contractors have put down a small steam engine for grinding mortar and for raising the heavy blocks of stone; and will be of the greatest aid when the building is further advanced.

The external appearance of the wing will be identical to that of the corresponding wing on Portland Street in architectural character and dimensions, in their graceful porticos, and general simplicity yet elegance of style. Many improvements have, however, been introduced in this wing, even since the completion of the south wing. These were the results of a personal inspection by a committee of the governors of the institution, appointed for that purpose, of the larger and more important edifices in the metropolis, known as the London Hospitals. Among these improvements is a spacious area, carried round the whole of the basement storey, which will therefore be perfectly dry and well-lighted. The whole of the cellars are arched; the corridors are made fireproof; and the staircases communicating with the several storeys are all of stone. When this wing is completed the entire building will form three sides of a quadrangle, the open side being next to Parker Street. The baths and nurses’ kitchens are conveniently situated, and fitted up with every requisite to ensure due attention to the wants and comfort of the patients. Hoists are arranged at each angle of the building to convey food and other matters to the several storeys; and provision is made to economise labour in every department.

BASEMENT STOREY The open area round the outside of this storey will be 12 feet wide at the top on the side next to the quadrangle and 6 feet wide round the other external walls of the wing. In every storey, a spacious corridor, connecting with that that traverses the centre front, and the other wing of the edifice, is carried along the middle, leaving suites of rooms on either side, of equal depth. In this storey the corridor is fluffed. It is about 180 feet in length by 9 feet wide. The range of front apartments facing Mosley Street is appropriated as baths, with dressing rooms adjoining, for the patients; still room etc. The cellaring extends under the portico. In the range next to the quadrangle is a connected suite of rooms for the coroner’s department, including the inquest room, 20 feet by 17 feet 6 inches, communicating with the witness room, and that again with the inspection room. In this range is also the drug room, connected with the dispensary department. In that part of the wing fronting Piccadilly are drying rooms, for beds, bedding, etc., flock rooms; and one square portion is devoted, not only on this floor, but every floor to the top of the building, to the hoists for provisions, coals etc. and the requisite conveniences.

GROUND FLOOR - In the centre of the front range facing Mosley Street, is the flagged entrance hall, from the portico, with porter’s room, etc. Near the entrance is an accident room, 38 feet by 19 feet 9 inches, and beyond it, and also on the other side, are spacious accident wards, for patients of both sexes, whose suffering it is undesirable to increase by conveying them upstairs. All the rest of the front range, and the whole of that next to the quadrangle, is occupied by the apartments required for the dispensary of the institution. They consist of physicians’ and surgeons’ prescribing rooms, with a private room attached to each for the examination of patients; clerks’ rooms and several large waiting room for patients of different classes; these are fitted up with seats for 400 persons – a greater extent of accommodation of this kind than can be found in any other hospital in the kingdom. Also on this floor are the laboratories, in the fitting up of which advantage will be taken of all the most recent improvements.

FIRST FLOOR – The front range contains three spacious wards, the one on the corner next to Parker Street being 50 feet by 20 feet, another 40 feet by 20 feet and the third, next to Piccadilly, 20 feet by 18 feet. There are kitchens and other rooms and conveniences for the nurses in attendance on the patients in the wards on this floor. On the quadrangle side there are other wards, of smaller dimensions, with an arrangement by which the patients may pass to the conveniences without going out into the corridor. So far as we know, this arrangement does not exist in any other hospital. This floor is to be appropriated to female patients. The remaining portion of this floor will be occupied with baths, staircases air, flues in connection with the warming and ventilation of the building, etc.

SECOND FLOOR – This will be appropriated to male patients; and the front range is in part occupied by wards, bat, male nurses’ rooms, splint room, nurses’ kitchen, scullery, etc. In the centre of this range is the operating theatre, where the larger and more important operations of surgery are performed, as amputation, etc. There are three tables, and seven semi-circular tiers of seats, rising from the floor to the back seats, supplying accommodation for one hundred medical practitioners and students. The theatre is well lighted from the north, both by roof-lights and by windows in the end or back wall. The back range on this floor consists almost wholly of wards, bedrooms, and baths, in an arrangement similar to the first floor.

The proposed plans for warming and ventilating the building are novel and ingenious. A space 15 inches high, by 9 feet wide and carried the whole length of the corridors is formed between the flooring of each corridor and the ceiling of that below it, providing an ample reservoir of fresh air, admitted from the external atmosphere in each storey at considerable elevation from the ground and which is passed through a wire gauze screen, to insure its greater purity. This air, after being warmed by means of steam pipes (for there are two, next each wall of the corridor), is conveyed to the several wards, which it enters through narrow orifices at the back of the skirting, and is thus equally diffused on every side. Openings for the foul air are formed in the chimney breasts of each storey, near the ceiling, the shaft being carried past the cast iron back of the fire-place of the room, over and between two smoke-flues, to the top of the chimney stack. The heat imparted to the foul air in its progress will be sufficient to ensure a constant and rapid dispersion of this vitiated air. All the wards are lofty and airy; the corridors are spacious and well ventilated, having windows at each end.

Mr Lane is the architect of both the new wings. The contractors for the erection of the north wing are Mr Bellhouse for the brickwork of the basement and Messrs Buxton and Bramall for the remainder of the edifice. Mr Longdin executes the requisite iron-work, which is considerable as the corridors, etc., are all made fireproof by cast iron beams etc. Mr England is the contractor for the plastering and painting. We understand that so satisfactory has the erection been, there is strong reason for expecting that the whole will be completed and ready for the reception of patients by Christmas 1850. [Manchester Guardian 3 November 1849 page 8]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 19 August 1848
Reference    Manchester Guardian 3 November 1849 page 8
Reference    Manchester Guardian 11 April 1849 Page 1 (Contracts) Foundations
Reference    Manchester Guardian Contracts Saturday 28 July 1849 - contracts
Reference    Manchester Courier 4 August 1849 page 2 - contracts