{"id":326898,"date":"2025-08-08T03:49:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T03:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/326898\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T03:49:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T03:49:16","slug":"this-is-a-triumph-i-wish-my-father-was-alive-to-say-thank-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/326898\/","title":{"rendered":"‘This is a triumph… I wish my father was alive to say thank you’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Renold was designed as the centrepiece of the campus in 1958 by Arthur Gibbon and Gordon Hodkinson of Manchester based Cruikshank and Seward.The Renold Building, University of Manchester (Image \u00a9 Jon Sparks)<\/p>\n

A university building that was the first of its kind in England has been granted Grade II-listing following a 20-year campaign.<\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of Manchester students for more than 50 years were taught in the nine lecture theatres at the Renold building in the former University of Manchester<\/a> Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).<\/p>\n

The Renold was designed as the centrepiece of the campus in 1958 by Arthur Gibbon and Gordon Hodkinson of Manchester based Cruikshank and Seward.<\/p>\n

To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The first building to be completed on campus in 1962, the 20th Century Society (C20), who campaigned for the listing said it was \u2018seen as a statement of intent and manifestation of the vision for the university\u2019.<\/p>\n

Its original use was as a lecture block, placing nine communal lecture theatres together in one building. It was designed to be economical of space and save time in moving between buildings, while allowing much larger numbers of students to be taught in larger and better-equipped theatres.<\/p>\n

The elegant projecting stair tower of the Renold Building (Image \u00a9 Mark Waugh)<\/p>\n

Though the idea existed abroad in the Netherlands, Germany and the USA, it was the first specific lecture block in an English civic university. This week it has been designated at Grade II, 20 years after the first listing application by C20 Society in 2005.<\/p>\n

The news comes as the rest of the significant post-war campus is facing large-scale redevelopment. The building was initially turned down for listing in 2006, with Historic England\u2019s assessment at the time referring to a \u2018lack of high architectural quality\u2019 and degree of alteration.<\/p>\n

The latest assessment accepts that verdict \u2018now appears harsh\u2019, and goes on to credit the extensive research of Prof Richard Brook, member of C20\u2019s casework committee.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThis listing is wonderful news for Manchester and for twentieth century architecture. The recognition of Arthur Gibbon and Gordon Hodkinson\u2019s work is long overdue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis announcement cements their legacy and that of the practice. \u201cI am thrilled that my research, driven by a deep love for the city\u2019s mid-century heritage, has contributed to its protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

The building was made from white concrete, in a deliberate contrast to the nearby brick and terracotta ornateness of Victorian Manchester. Its most striking and sculptural features are the faceted zig-zag east facade, offering backlighting to the stacked lecture theatres, and transparent stair tower.<\/p>\n

It has recently been rebranded as the \u2018Renold Innovation Hub\u2019, offering co-working space, private workspace and event spaces for business start-ups as part of the wider development of the UMIST site.<\/p>\n

The striking faceted zig-zag east facade of the Renold building (Image \u00a9 lowefoto)<\/p>\n

Kate Langford, daughter of the architect William Arthur Gibbon, said \u201cThis is a triumph. I recently visited the Renold Building with my brother and was given a very interesting tour of this building by Prof Richard Brook.<\/p>\n

Join the Manchester Evening News <\/strong>WhatsApp<\/strong> group <\/strong>HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel sure that it is due to his constant determination with the support of the 20th Century Society that has ensured its preservation. \u201cMany of these buildings from a very interesting and remarkable period of architecture would have gone had it not been for the love and interest shown by the society and the dedication of Prof Brook.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish my father was alive to say thank you to all who were involved.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Renold was designed as the centrepiece of the campus in 1958 by Arthur Gibbon and Gordon Hodkinson…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":326899,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,393,4884,2465,8086,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-326898","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-manchester","12":"tag-manchester-city-centre","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114991108402933718","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=326898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/326899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=326898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=326898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=326898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}