Manchester Athenaeum
| Manchester Athenaeum | |
|---|---|
Manchester Athenaeum is part of the art gallery | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Italian Palazzo style |
| Address | Princess Street, Manchester, England |
| Year(s) built | 1837 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Sandstone ashlar |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Sir Charles Barry |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | The Athenaeum |
| Designated | 3 October 1974 |
| Reference no. | 1270889 |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | St Peter's Square tram stop |
The Athenaeum on Princess Street in Manchester, England, now part of Manchester Art Gallery, was originally a club built for the Manchester Athenaeum, a society for the "advancement and diffusion of knowledge", in 1837. The society, founded in 1835, met in the adjacent Royal Manchester Institution until funds had been raised for the building. The society survived financial difficulties to become the centre for Manchester's literary life. It ceased operations in 1938.
Sir Charles Barry designed the Athenaeum building in the Italian palazzo style, the first such building in the city. Manchester Corporation acquired the building in 1938.
In 2002 Manchester Art Gallery was extended by Hopkins Architects following an architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions to take in the Athenaeum. It is linked to the art gallery by a glass atrium. The Athenaeum was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1974.