Where there’s a will…

The Whitworth’s new building is set to continue the important role the gallery has played in Manchester for over a hundred years. The Gallery and the collection would not be in the city at all if it weren’t for a number of generous benefactors who left funds and artworks to the Gallery in their wills. Legacies still play an important part in making the collection better for our visitors.

If you have ever thought about leaving a gift to Manchester’s arts and cultural organisations, our Legacies information evening on Thurs 24 Nov, 5-7pm at Whitworth Art Gallery will give you an informal opportunity to find out more. The event has been organised by the Whitworth, the Manchester Museum and Manchester City Galleries. Manchester law firm, JMW Solicitors and leading accountants, Hurst will talk about some of the practicalities of making a Will as well as dispel some of the myths. There will also be a wine reception and an optional tour of the Gallery.

For all of us, making a Will is one of the most personal and private decisions we are ever likely to make. Please be assured that we will not ask you about your plans, nor will we ask you personally to consider any of our individual organisations in your Will.

For more information or to book a place, please email magdevelopment.rsvp or phone Christina Georgiou on 0161 235 8851 by Fri 18 Nov (places are limited).

A View From the Friends of the Whitworth

The Friends of the Whitworth are supporting the capital development through a fundraising campaign and lots of fantastic events. Here, their Chair, Stuart Halsall talks about what they’ve been doing so far and their plans for the future…

The excitement is building (and that’s not just a pun). The Gala Evening which we held at Capesthorne Hall in April was a great success, raising the profile of the Friends (we even madeCheshire Life!) and a substantial amount for our capital appeal. This has been followed by a series of varied and popular events over the summer including Art Gardens, a most successful sponsored walk across Morecambe Bay, a visit to the new Hepworth and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, a fascinating tour of stained glass in Churches in the South West, a week’s assimilation of Swedish culture in Stockholm and Gotland, a walk around Coventry and ‘Croeso I Gymry’.

Our events for the Autumn include two Studio visits, a Study Day on Art, Design and the Festival of Britain, Grayson Perry giving our annual flagship Pilkington lecture and a series of ‘Film Noir’ to complement the Gallery’s ‘Dark Matters’ exhibition.

You can find out more about all our events on our website which you’ll find at: www.friendsofthewhitworth.org.uk

All these events and Friends’ donations continue to support our Capital Appeal to help increase access to the Whitworth collection – the Friends particular contribution is to the fitting out of the Study Rooms which will allow groups and individuals to more easily access the collection. Our appeal for donations continues – £100 will buy five collection storage boxes to house tresures from the Collection, £500 will buy a bookcase to fit out the new library area and £1,000 will buy a table for the study rooms. All donations, large or small, are welcome – please send your donation to: Chairman, Friends of the Whitworth, The Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER

We are looking forward to seeing work start in the New Year and building work on the extension next Summer. Stuart McKnight of MUMA – the architects chosen through a RIBA competition (funded by the Friends) – will be giving a talk at the Friends’ AGM in March when Dr Maria Balshaw will outline how the Gallery will continue to perform, including a programme of events and exhibitions based on the collection during the construction period.

It’s all happening at the Whitworth!

A word from the Architects!

Selected from 139 entries, it was London-based practice MUMA (McInnes, Usher, McKnight Architects) who won the RIBA architectural competition to design the Whitworth’s long awaited extension.  Up against practices from all over the world, it was MUMA’s sensitive and thoughtful response to a complex brief that set them apart.

Established in 2000, MUMA is comprised of Gillian McInnes, Simon Usher and Stuart McKnight, who studied together at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow. Over the past 10 years they have worked on several prestigious projects, for which they have received international awards and recognition. You can read more about MUMA on the capital development section of the Whitworth’s website: www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/capital/architects

Volunteer Emma Williams spent an hour with Stuart McKnight to find out more about the design.

~

Can you tell us a little about how the plans for the extension are drawn up between the three of you?

As a partnership we all work together on the design and construction of any building, but initially Gillian and I will take the lead, during what are referred to as the concept, schematic and design development stages, with Simon commenting on this process throughout. As we move into the construction and documentation stages, Simon takes more of a lead role, working with the contractors on site as the building takes shape. Throughout I remain involved to ensure continuity between the design and the construction stages of the project.

Have you been able to draw on previous experiences from similar projects for inspiration in designing the Whitworth’s extension?

Well, one of the last projects we worked on was the new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries at the Victoria &Albert Museum in London. Although every design is totally informed by its context, there were certainly some similar considerations with both projects. Specifically, in both instances we wanted to create simple, open spaces, free from visual clutter, so as to best emphasise the collections – we didn’t want the gallery’s surroundings to undermine the clarity of the art on display.

We’ve also taken a lot from the environmental strategy of the V&A project that we hope to bring to the Whitworth as well.

Is it important that the Whitworth’s extension is identifiable as a MUMA design? – Do you have a specific style that carries from one project to the next?

Not really, we certainly aren’t interested in putting our signature all over a design, we simply look to find the best solution to the problem – every project we undertake is different and we would not wish to have a specific style that carries from one project to another anyway!

However, people are starting to say there are similarities between the projects we’ve worked on, if not in design than in sensibilities – purely in the way we’ve approached a project and the elements that we’ve chosen to focus on. I suppose you could say that our signature is in trying to identify the true essence of a project, and working to emphasise that, but never in trying to ensure that the design ‘looks like a MUMA design’ – it’s not about us, but about the building entirely.

What were the main considerations for your design in this instance?

We felt it very important that the extension blended in with its surroundings, sitting among the trees as opposed to on top of them!  The park is such a beautiful setting for the gallery and we wanted to make the most of that – for example the new café will be made primarily of glass, so that visitors really get a feel of sitting within the park – highlighting the gallery’s natural environment.

Trying to make the most of the natural light was also a big consideration for us; not only does maximising the light reduce the need for artificial lights inside – making the building more sustainable – but its also a great way to integrate the building with its surroundings.

Of course lighting is key within the gallery, but works of art also need to be protected against over-exposure – what is your approach here?

I feel that the role of the architecture lies somewhere between that of the conservator, and in protecting the interests of the visitors, who come to see the art. We understand that the art’s exposure to the natural environment needs to be carefully regulated, but we also realise that it’s there to be seen and enjoyed by the visitors, so it’s finding a balance between the two.

One of the things we’re hoping to incorporate into the design are automated blinds that will open and close with the opening and closing of the gallery to the public. That way, the gallery’s collection will only be exposed to natural light during the Whitworth’s opening hours, meaning there is less unnecessary exposure to light, which can be traded off against the need to filter the natural light down to the same extent as we would have to if the collection were sitting in natural light from sunrise to sunset.  This will result in a better viewing experience for visitors, while still complying with the need to conserve the art on display.

Obviously a large consideration in designing the Whitworth’s extension was in trying to reduce the gallery’s carbon footprint despite increasing the size of the building; do you find environmental/energy efficiency issues are of a greater concern to clients now, than when MUMA was formed in 2000?

Definitely, since 2000 and particularly over the past 5-7 years there’s been a growing emphasis from clients, and within the practice itself, on ensuring designs are both environmentally sustainable and energy efficient.  Such considerations now heavily inform our designs, as we try to achieve the best possible results while minimising the environmental impact of the project.

For instance, the V&A had originally in 2003 required within the brief an air conditioning system within the gallery, but during the course of the project we were able to, together with the V&A and the engineers, work this out of the design in favour of more environmentally friendly methods of gallery climate control. The V&A was a very enlightened client in this respect and we are pleased to find a similarly progressive attitude at the Whitworth.

In what way is the development sustainable?

Our approach is to build upon the inherent opportunities within the existing building (this is one way we offered an alternative approach to the original competition brief). By flipping some accommodation around we’ve established the collection storage in the stable environment of the Lower Ground Floor and relocated the lecture theatre to the upper floor, where there is a less stable environment but high ceilings suiting large gatherings of people. By swapping these uses around we’ve immediately gone a long way towards a sustainable solution.

There a manyother ways in which the new development is a sustainable build, both strategic and using new technology. We’ll be using a number of environmentally friendly methods to control the climate within the gallery, including air supplied through earth tubes which will be dug out beneath the art garden.

We’ve looked to make the most of the natural light available to the gallery, which will reduce the need for artificial light within. Green roofs will be installed at the rear of the building (in addition to the green roof already in existence at the front!). All of this and more means we’ve been able to reduce the carbon footprint of the Whitworth by 10%, despite increasing it’s size by a third, and doubling the size of the area available to the public!

Your initial proposal to the Whitworth strayed from some of the recommendations set out in the brief, why was this?

When we design a building, we always try to ensure that it best fulfils the goals set out in the brief, and our design for the Whitworth’s extension was no exception. Any suggestions we made in our proposal were fundamental to best achieving what the Whitworth wanted too with its extension. Some reasons were environmental as already discussed others were a response to the character of the building and its setting.

MUMA's design for the Whitworth's new courtyard section, looking towards the park.

We decided submit a proposal which placed the extension more to the rear of the gallery than to the side – as suggested in the brief – for a number of reasons. The Whitworth is a symmetrical building to which we responded with the new art garden being placed on axis, enclosed by the asymmetrical extension. We also believed the art garden would be better sheltered from outside noise pollution if it was housed to the rear of gallery, between the two extended arms of the gallery.

Most importantly, we felt it would be a huge shame to loose the trees that line the side of the Whitworth – all of these trees are structures in their own right with a long history within the park, and a long future ahead of them, we felt it in the interests of the gallery to protect these if possible.

Is there a part of the design that you’re particularly proud of/excited to see built?

I’ll be excited when the first holes (into the back of the existing galleries) are knocked through! It’ll be great to open that space up and see exactly how the extension will align itself with the surrounding park.

What does it mean to MUMA to have worked with so many prestigious organisations?

Although it’s great to say that we have, it definitely isn’t about the prestige for us. We secure all of our contracts through entering architectural competitions, and we only do so if we really want to tender for a project.

The project has to excite us, but we also have to believe that we can provide the best response to the brief. It’s always more about the specifics of the project for us, than it is the organisation that’s involved!

Do you have a favourite project from those you’ve worked on in MUMA’s 11 year history?

Not really, every project is so different, and presents us with new and exciting challenges; it would be very difficult to pick a favourite!

~

Stuart’s final comment was that he and the rest of the team at MUMA had taken much inspiration from the Margaret Pilkington quote included in the brief. Margaret was an early director of the Whitworth, and her words sum up perfectly our imagining of the new development:

“I have come to the conclusion that a good museum or gallery should be a place where people feel comfortable. If it stands in a garden or park, the visitors should be able to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors as a counterpoint to what is within.”

Clore Duffield Award

We’re thrilled to announce that the Clore Duffield Foundation last week awarded the Whitworth a £250,000 grant towards our capital development project. The grant is one of 11, totaling £8.2 million, made to cultural organisations across the UK to open up new creative learning spaces for children and young people.

The Clore Duffield Foundation is a grant-making charity which concentrates its support on cultural learning, creating learning spaces within arts and heritage organisations. The Foundation is chaired by Dame Vivien Duffield DBE, and has a long track record of funding Clore learning spaces/centres within museums, galleries and heritage sites.

The £250,000 grant to the Whitworth will fund the construction of the Clore Learning Studio;a light, flexible space on the ground floor of one of the two new wings that will surround the Gallery’s new Art Garden. The new Clore Learning Studio will provide a highly visible learning environment for a wide range of art activities, allowing for a 25% increase in formal and informal learning programmes in the Gallery.

On making the announcement, Dame Vivien Duffield said, “I believe passionately that children and young people deserve the very best opportunities to benefit from the transforming power of our world class cultural organisations. I am delighted that we have been able to support such outstanding projects created by some of the best architects, in museums, galleries and theatres across the country… Now more than ever, I believe that culture should be at the heart of our children’s learning.”

Heritage Lottery Fund award set to transform Whitworth Art Gallery

Just a quick post to pass on some fantastic news, we’ve been awarded the awarded £8million by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards our long-awaited extension.
I’m sure many of you will have seen the  designs by leading architects MUMA and I’m also sure that if you have you’ll be as excited as we are.

You can find  more details on our Capital Development page

This is excellent news indeed and as I’m sure you can imagine a great deal of hard work from many people has paid off.
I’d like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work that’s made this all possible.

As this development is about to become a reality I’d just like to share a quote with you that helps to show just how long it has been a dream;

‘I have come to the conclusion that a good museum or gallery should be a place where people feel comfortable.If it stands in a garden or park, the visitors should be able to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors as a counterpoint to what is within.’
Margaret Pilkington, Whitworth Art Gallery Director following a visit to Oslo, 1932

The world has changed a good deal since 1932 and a great many events and have led us to where we are now and have shaped our direction for the future.Margaret Pilkington’s words are as true now as then she wrote them. Much work has been done at the Whitworth since then but always with the same aim.
It can be difficult to encapsulate an aim but something that literally shows the shape the Whitworth will be taking are some carefully planted crocus bulbs!

During one of our family events last year these were planted in the shape of the ‘footprint’ of the new perimeter and are now shooting through right on cue – hopefully an encouraging portent for our future!

Crocus shoots marking out the future footprint of the Whitworth

Our capacity and facilities will change a great deal in the coming years and while we may look different and be able to offer more one thing will remain the same.

We are the Whitworth. The same gallery we have always been and will continue to be.

Only thanks to our redevelopment, even more so.

A word from our team!

The Capital Development project will mean a number of exciting changes for the Whitworth. A new expansion at the rear of the building will not only alter the way visitors experience and interact with the gallery, but will also directly affect the gallery staff, as their working environment undergoes some radical changes. We caught up with three members of the team to hear what they had to say…

Chad McGitchie – Head of Visitor Services Manager

How will the new build affect your day-to-day working’s within the gallery?

As our spaces change and expand with the new build, so will the Visitor Services Team. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to engage with our public and having a brand new entrance from the park will be an excellent opportunity to create dialogue with our visitors.  With the new expansion, we will be looking to adapt our services for each new space and help create a place where people come to learn, explore and create.

Are there any issues/problems you’ve encountered at the gallery, that you think will be alleviated by the new development?

At the moment space is a real big factor.  We have so many great programmes running in the gallery raging from activities for families with small children to adult workshops and every age in between.  At the moment, some of these programmes can over lap in space or be in close proximity to one another, which can cause issues with noise levels and interfere with an individuals visit.  Some people want a quiet gallery where they can peacefully look through our collections and other want a place where the’r children and get excited and explore the spaces.

Is there a part of the new development you’re most excited about?

Connecting with the park with a second entrance is what I’m most looking forward to. Also having the opportunity to have bespoke areas for school groups, family programmes and other activities which is greatly needed.  Our park entrance will help us organise large groups more effectively and ensure all our visitors have the best possible experience. Also having a café in the trees is very exciting as well!

What about the new build do you think will be of most benefit to the visitors?

Accessibility.  That word is the key focus on our area of work within the gallery.  The new build will ensure that our existing spaces are opened up and used more effectively and the new areas are equipped to allow all visitors, including people with mobility issues, visual impairments or any other special needs can access all areas and be included in every part of our building.

Any other comments you’d like to make?

The Visitor Services Team are really looking forward the new dynamic the project will bring with engaging with new and existing visitors.  It’s all very exciting!

~

Steven Roper - Early Years and Primary Co-ordinator

How will the new build affect your day-to-day workings within the gallery?

It’s going to be really great having an area set aside for the kids to go when they get to the gallery, somewhere we can sit them down and get them interested in the workshops we’ve arranged without them getting distracted.

Are there any issues/problems you’ve encountered at the gallery, that you think will be alleviated by the new development?

It’ll definitely ease the battle for space within the gallery, which will be nice for both staff and visitors. Having our own space also means we’ll be able to offer a wider range of workshops and activities which we’ve been unable to in the past – specifically, we’ll get to do some painting and other, messier activities, which will be great for the kids!

Is there a part of the new development you’re most excited about?

I’m really looking forward the back of the gallery being opened up more, out onto the park. Having such proximity and easy access to park will mean we can really look at exploring other areas of the curriculum that we haven’t previously – more outdoor learning!

What about the new build do you think will be of most benefit to visitors?

I haven’t been at the gallery too long, but from what I’ve seen I think the new build will definitely help to ease the traffic flow through the gallery for visitors. I also think opening up the back of the gallery in the way they are will encourage visitors to consider their environment in a new way, which will be really interesting.

Any other comments you’d like to make…

I’m really excited about the new build over all, can’t wait until it starts taking shape. Looking forward to being able to better promote the learning provisions we have available.

~

Helen Stalker - Assistant Curator  (Fine Art)

How will the new build affect your day-to-day working’s within the gallery?

Having had a base in the Prints and Drawings Study Room for the past six years I’m looking forward to working in an office with a wall I can pin things to! I’ll miss working in such close proximity to the collection, but I’m hoping a shiny new office space will help me work more efficiently!

Are there any issues/problems you’ve encountered at the gallery, that you think will be alleviated by the new development?

One of the main issues I encounter most often is access to the stored collections. We do our very best to make sure that visitors and researchers who wish to view the collections are catered for, but the only route to the stored prints and drawings is via a couple of large flights of stairs which can be daunting, if not impossible, for visitors with mobility or health issues.

There are also two members of staff who use the study room as a work base (myself included). It’s a little difficult to make a call or have a conversation when there are researchers or study groups in the same room – and I’m sure visitors are also conscious of the fact that we’re there. When the prints and drawings are housed in the new study areas it will be a great asset as we’ll be able to open up this amazing collection in a much more user-friendly way.

Is there a part of the new development you’re most excited about?

I can’t wait to see the new galleries and am particularly excited about dreaming up exhibitions to go in them!

What about the new build do you think will be of most benefit to visitors?

A visitor-friendly building full of interesting and beautiful things with a glorious aspect onto Whitworth Park will, no doubt, become a haven for many in a crazy-busy city such as Manchester.

Planning with our fingers crossed

It’s been rather too long since my last post but I hope I can be forgiven as since September we have submitted our second round assessment to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £8 million towards our new extension – a huge task.  We’ve also done a full planning application, as well as the usual daily business of opening exhibitions (The Land Between Us) and welcoming people to the gallery – 172,000 last year!  Our best ever visitor figures.

We’ve also continued to work with MUMA and the design team to refine to the design – fine-tuning it drawing on feedback from visitors and a range of different users as well as taking into account input from our specialist advisors from the Heritage Lottery Fund and our own University Estates department.  The upshot of all this is that the design looks brilliant – both beautiful and fit for our purposes.  In the coming weeks they’ll be some great images of the various parts of the new and old building going up on the blog.

We had Manchester City Council planners and planning advisors visit earlier this week – as part of their assessment of our planning application.  All a bit nerve-wracking but Stuart from MUMA did a fantastic presentation and I talked to them about the importance of the project for our local communities as well as for our university and city.  They seemed interested and impressed.

But mostly at the moment we are planning for how we will make the design and the plans for the Whitworth’s future real – thinking 5, 10 and even 20 years into a new future as a green gallery in a beautiful park.  But we’re planning with our fingers crossed – and the next few weeks are critical.  On January 24th, the Trustees and officers from the Heritage Lottery Fund come to do their final assessment of the project, before making their decision at the national Trustees board on February 15th.  Manchester City Council planners also make their decision about granting planning permission in the next few weeks.  We need yes from both bodies and then the project can – for definite and for real – go ahead.  Keep your fingers crossed with us and let’s hope my next post will be a celebratory one.

Green shoots on the roof

Everything is green here at the Whitworth this August, as typical Manchester rain, followed by sun, followed by rain is slightly frustrating those of us who would like to believe in summer but really helping our progress with reducing the carbon footprint of our building and expanding the biodiversity of our environment.

Both of these considerations are central to our overall capital plan. We intend to reduce the carbon consumption of the whole building by 10% overall, even as we will be increasing the footprint of the Gallery by 30%. I’ll write more about how we are setting about achieving this in future posts.

For the moment, our attention is focused on a green roof, which is being planted as I type, on the flat roof of the front portion of the building (the 1889 bit). As you’ll see from my photo (apologies for the quality, but it had to be taken from behind the safety barriers) our contractors are doing a fabulous job laying a green carpet (mostly sedum) on the roof – with the regular showers proving very useful!

It’s tremendously exciting as it feels a really visible milestone in our attempt to make the upkeep and long term maintenance of the Gallery more environmentally and economically sustainable. The new development will also have biodiverse roofs. This one is important, as it is visible from inside the building, from the Edwardian staircases that the capital development will open up to the public. It’s also visible from the top deck of the many, many buses that run past along the Oxford Road. So, I’m very happy that we’re wearing a statement about our green intentions on our sleeve (or at least our roof).

It’s been possible to plant this green roof, almost a year in advance of starting the new build work, because Manchester City Council, the University Estates Department and the charity Red Rose Forest, have found funding to pilot a number of green roofs on public buildings – to explore how effective they are and to promote their adoption across the public realm. We’re really pleased to be involved in this good work and there will be a small exhibition in the Gallery in Autumn, showcasing the different projects.

So, as you heard in the last posting, we know a lot already about the biodiversity of our setting (including bats and woodmice as well as birds, bees and other crawly things). We hope this green roof will only increase the positive impact our Gallery and particularly our Park has on our urban setting.

Contractors planting the first green roof at the Whitworth

Toilets, Bats & Digging Deep!

Its been a while now since our latest blog posting, but that doesn’t mean we have been sitting twiddling our thumbs!

Much of the action has focused on meetings, looking at drawings, discussing the finer details of cleaning glass or checking if there will be sufficient toilet provision in our new and refurbished building – so not necessarily a riveting read!  However, we do have a series of short films showing some of the action taking place in and around the gallery.

These include fleeting glimpses of Pipistrelle bats, but also the sound of bats picked up using a ‘bat detector’ during our recent Bioblitz in Whitworth Park; site investigations in the land behind the gallery by Geotechnics and a short interview with one of our architects looking at an area of the basement opened-up to check existing foundations.

Bioblitz in Whitworth Park

June 8th will be the start of our Bioblitz in Whitworth Park to help both the Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum find out more about the biodiversity of the local green space adjacent to the gallery.  Both institutions are currently developing plans to expand and improve their facilities for visitors and asking the Heritage Lottery Fund for support – The Gallery is at the development stage of a £12m project which will see new extensions into the park area at the back of the gallery, and the museum is developing a new mammals gallery.  Gaining an insight into what plants, animals, birds and insects live around us will help inform our plans.

Tonight entomologists from Manchester Museum will set up a moth trap and bat specialists will be identifying the different bats in the park – results of these experiments and more information will be available all day on June 9th, when everyone is invited to join us in a major species hunt!  Come and visit us anytime between 10am and 4pm.