Manchester Science and Industry Museum receives £14m for upgrades

Money from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport will go towards repairing the roof, gutters, windows, and masonry of the grade two-listed New Warehouse.

The £14.2m national capital funding award will also go towards conservation work in the Science and Industry Museum’s Upper Ward, the grade one-listed 1830 Warehouse, gantry structure, and the 1830 viaduct.

Work is set to begin on the project later this year. The Manchester museum will mostly remain open during construction, but some areas will be temporarily closed. This includes Power Hall, which will reopen in 2024.

The conservation, repair, and improvement project is part of the Science and Industry Museum’s wider restoration programme that was announced in 2019. As part of the project, a £5m exhibition space opened in 2021.

The repair of Power Hall is one of the main aspects of the restoration effort. Part of this included the full renovation of the building’s roof, a project that completed in December. Work on the interior of Power Hall can now proceed, including efforts to make it more sustainble. This includes the installation of electric boilers and sustainable insulation.

The restoration work thus coincides with the museum’s goal to be net zero by 2033.

Watch the video below for a closer look at the wider restoration project and what it entails.