The luxury jeweller has given a spectacular new lease of life to the stunning Grade II listed building on St Ann’s SquareJewellery firm Mappin & Webb have opened in an historic building on Manchester’s St Ann’s Square(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

One of Manchester’s most distinctive historic buildings has been given a spectacular new lease of life – with a new flagship store from luxury jeweller Mappin & Webb.

Spanning 700 square metres, it’s now the largest Mappin & Webb showroom to date in the UK.

It comes amid a significant investment in Manchester from its owners, The Watches of Switzerland Group.

Their takeover has included a thorough restoration of the building’s iconic pink and gold façade.

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Bosses have also reinstated what would have been the original arched shop fronts when the building first opened back in 1867.

The original shop arches have been renovated and the bright pink restored(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

The stunning Grade II listed building, known as Mansfield Chambers, sits within the designated conservation area at St Ann’s Square, close to St Ann’s Church.

Inside the new shop, bosses say they will be offering clients a “best-in-class experience across the world’s most prestigious luxury jewellery brands, in an environment that celebrates heritage, craftmanship and modern luxury retailing”.

Through a new “house of brands” concept, it champions both heritage names and emerging designers with a curated collection of the world’s most iconic jewellery brands under one roof.

It also include the first De Beers boutique outside of London showcasing its range of exclusive diamonds, while visitors can also experience the UK’s exclusive collection of David Yuman.

Visitors will also discover handcrafted jewellery collection from the Italian brand, Roberto Coin, in its unique boutique at the front of the store.

Decorative corbels (seen at the rear) feature in the Roberto Coin boutique inside Mappin & Webb(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

The front boutiques feature some of the only remaining historic interior features of the building, the original decorative corbels which have been incorporated into the new luxurious design.

The building had been left in a state of some disrepair according to the architects working with The Watches of Switzerland Group when they took it over four years ago.

While it originally opened as four different shops in 1867, by the 1970s it was taken over by WH Smith, who turned it into one large store.

In more recent years it had been a Barclays bank, and when the new owners took over they said there were only limited original features left inside.

The first De Beers boutique outside London has opened at the new Mappin & Webb(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

Now, it’s a luxurious jewellery emporium spread across two floors, with the showroom also featuring FOPE, Messika, Chopard, Faberge (where a unique new egg has this week gone on display and is for sale for £124,000), as well as its own Mappin & Webb collection.

The firm, which celebrates 250 years in business this year, has held a royal warrant since 1897, and customers can also take advantge of its own bespoke range overseen by the Crown Jeweller Mark Appleby.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to see the exclusive launch of the Watches of Switzerland Group’s pre-owned jewellery collection featuring vintage Tiffany, Cartier and Van Cleef.

In the basement area there’s also a new hospitality experience space including a lounge, feature bar and private shopping rooms.

Craig Bolton, UK President at Watches of Switzerland Group said of the opening: “This new showroom represents a pivotal moment for the Watches of Switzerland Group.

Spectacular new interiors (Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

“The space reinforces the brand’s status as a custodian of tradition and modern innovations, and we are thrilled to be bring this experience to Manchester, a city with rich heritage and vibrant spirit.

“St Ann’s Square, long regarded as Manchester’s historic jewellery quarter, provides the ideal setting for this vision. This opening marks a flagship investment by the Watches of Switzerland Group in Manchester, signalling long-term commitment to multi-brand luxury retail.”

The Watches of Switzerland Group continues to invest in Manchester, with multiple locations including another Mappin & Webb showroom just along the road from the new store, as well as a Watches of Switzerland showroom, Goldsmiths showrooms, a TAG Heuer and a Breitling boutique.

Original beams have been retained inside the new design(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

The opening of the new jewellery showroom will be its 11th location within the city, continuing the Group’s strategy to grow its presence in key regional locations across the UK.

Architect Nick Johnson worked alongside Tim Bennett on the restoration of the Grade II listed building.

He said: “The investment and commitment to this building has made it a completely landmark project.

“The hard work is worth it when we see the look on people’s faces when they walk in – that’s the tick in the box moment.”

The new Mappin & Webb store is now open(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

Tim added: “We feel we were custodians of this building for the future, and it has suffered in the last 30, 40 years.

“It was originally four separate stores, while the rear was warehouses that serviced the stores – there’s still an original joist you can see at the back on Half Moon Street.

“WH Smith arrived in the 1970s and knocked through to make it one big store, and then Barclays took it on in 2008 and ripped out all the historical features, so we were left with a very unloved building, it was empty for four years and doing nothing.

“We identified key areas to maintain like the columns in the basement and the corbels and we’ve really tried to maximise the use of the whole space.”

The building also has a blue plaque on the front – commemorating renowned chemist William Henry who was born at 19 St Ann’s Square in 1774, when there were originally townhouses at the site.

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