The optimism of the 1960s, the decade of Pop, Mod and the White Heat of Technology, is embodied in the best Modernist architecture in Greater Manchester; reflecting the city's aspirations for an international, technologically advanced future. This exhibition draws examples from across the decade to demonstrate the control over the formal language of Modernism evident in the best work of the period. Within this examination the shift in design sensibilities over the decade becomes clear from the cool curtain walling of the early 60s, the CIS Tower being an exemplar, to the expressive use of concrete seen in Aldine House, showing the innovation possible within Modernist architectural output.

The works shown are the product of a range of practices from those with a national/ international profile to major regional practices and demonstrate the assurance and panache with which architects working within the main stream of Modernism were capable. Built work has been identified that charts the formal and theoretical trends of the decade from the Pop architecture of the 'Toast Rack' building to the Mega-structurally scaled work conceived later in the decade.

Buildings to be studied in the exhibition include the following listed by function :

Industrial
Manchester City Abbatoir, Besant Roberts
Factory, Denton, Taylor, Young and Partners

Commercial
CIS Tower Sir John Burnett Tait and Partners with G.S.Hay
Piccadilly Plaza, Covell Matthews
Pall Mall Court, Harry Teggin
Commercial Union Offices, Watney, Inman, Nunn
Highland House, Leach Rhodes and Walker
Former NatWest Bank King Street, Casson Condor

Education
Reynolds Building, Cruikshank and Seward
Toast Rack L.C.Howwitt
Maths Tower, Scherrer and Hicks

Transport
Mancunian Way, Maunsell / Hayes
Piccadilly Station Concourse and Approach, Seifert / Moorcroft
Oxford Road Station, Headley/Moorcroft with Glendinning
Chorlton Street Bus Station, Leach Rhodes and Walker

Civic / Religious
Middleton Council Offices , Lyons Israel and Ellis
Cumberland House, Leach Rhodes and Walker
Wythenshaw Hospital Maternity Wing, Powell and Moya
William Temple Church Wythenshaw, George Pace
Rutherford House, George Street, Ministry of Public Works

Leisure
Arndale Centre, Wilson Wormersley
Broughton Swimming Baths, Scott Brownrigg and Turner

The exhibition intends to reveal the treatment of the building as a designed object. The mode of presentation, using specially commissioned colour-saturated photography, axonometric and detailed elevational drawings, and models has been chosen to elucidate formal and compositional qualities of the architecture.

The intention of the exhibition is to engage the debate regarding context. The buildings selected are located in Greater Manchester but all show International aspirations. The exhibition will also form an archival document for buildings of the period currently due for demolition (e.g. Cumberland House) under the extensive redevelopment plans currently being undertaken in central Manchester.

Manchester International is curated by Tom Jefferies RIBA, Senior Lecturer, Manchester School of Architecture with photography by G.ten (Michael Pollard, Derek Trillo, Anne Perrett)

Sponsored by