John Rylands Library Manchester, Deansgate Building Photos, Date, Basil Champneys Architect England
John Rylands Library Manchester Building
Historic Deansgate Architecture, northwest England, UK – design by Architect Basil Champneys
John Rylands Library
Location: 150 Deansgate – located on the west side of Deansgate, roughly midway along the street.
Late-Victorian neo-Gothic building in the city centre.
The John Rylands Library
Manchester building photos © Adrian Welch, 17 Apr 2010:
Historic building recently extended and ‘refurbished’
This is a late-Victorian neo-Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester city centre. The library, which opened to the public in 1900, was founded by Enriqueta Augustina Rylands in memory of her husband, John Rylands.
The John Rylands Library and the library of the University of Manchester merged in 1972 into the John Rylands University Library of Manchester. Special collections built up by both libraries were progressively concentrated in the Deansgate building.
The special collections, believed to be among the largest in the United Kingdom, include medieval illuminated manuscripts and examples of early European printing, including a Gutenberg Bible, the second largest collection of printing by William Caxton, and the most extensive collection of the editions of the Aldine Press of Venice. The Rylands Library Papyrus P52 is believed to be the earliest extant New Testament text. The library holds personal papers and letters of notable figures, among them Elizabeth Gaskell and John Dalton.
The architectural style is primarily neo-Gothic with elements of Arts and Crafts Movement in the ornate and imposing gatehouse facing Deansgate which dominates the surrounding streetscape. The library building, granted Grade I listed status in 1994, is maintained by the University of Manchester and open for library readers and visitors.
Source: wikipedia
Manchester building photos © Adrian Welch 2006:
Architect: Basil Champneys
Date built: 1900
Architectural heritage status: Grade 1 Listed
Location – middle of Deansgate, on the west side, city centre
The John Rylands Library refurbishment
Date built: 2003-07
Design: Austin Smith: Lord / Lloyd Elans Pritchard
Client: University of Manchester
Approximate building renewal construction cost: £12.5m approx.
View along Deansgate:
Location: 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH, Northwest England, UK
Phone: +44 161 306 0555
Manchester Buildings
Contemporary Manchester Architecture
Manchester Architectural Designs – chronological list
Manchester Architecture Walking Tours
KAMPUS
Architects: Mecanoo
photo © Uniform
KAMPUS Development
Great Northern Warehouse, Square and Deansgate Terraces
Architects: SimpsonHaugh ; Masterplan: aLL Design
image : SimpsonHaugh
Great Northern Warehouse and Square
Imperial War Museum Manchester
Other examples of Manchester Architecture welcome: info(at)e-architect.com
Comments / images for the John Rylands Library – Historic Deansgate Building page welcome
Website: www.library.manchester.ac.uk