Established in 1889 as the first English gallery in a park, the Whitworth has become a thriving attraction for Manchester, known for its contemporary exhibitions and international collections, it has an adventurous curatorial team gaining worldwide attention. And now after undergoing a £15m development the gallery has become a multi-award winning hub for academic collaboration, learning and research.

“Despite its ambition and change, the Whitworth is also a gallery that has retained a sense of the personal, the intimate and the playful. It is a place that its visitors love, and feel that they own. For them and for us, the Whitworth is simply the gallery in the park, one of the most remarkable galleries in the north”

• Bespoke manufactured American White Oak joinery items:
  • Performance doorsets
  • “Bickerdike” heritage wall panelling
  • Bench seating
  • Study desks
• Feature “flush-design” architectural ironmongery, including concealed hinges to give a seamless hanging effect to the doorsets within wall panelling
• Site-formed, bespoke flush skirting with precision shadow gaps to create hanging and suspended effects to other finishes
• Corian worktops to the bathrooms
• Extensive structural and remedial roof works, supporting the installation of new roof light windows

Project challenges:
The American White Oak veneers were individually hand-selected at the veneer importers library in London, then book-matched, stitched and lacquered to finish the bespoke items.
Being Grade II listed, the building required great consideration and collaboration with the conservation team. As with working on any old buildings there were many problems uncovered that weren’t expected so it was imperative to have a valued working relationship with ISGs management team onsite.