Piccadilly
Gardens "Pavilion"
I discovered this image of
Piccadilly Gardens and I was intrigued by the building. I have
failed to find any information about this building in
the references I have consulted. It occupied the Parker Street
side of the park.
I have been able to discover
its origin. The gardens were created after the Royal Infirmary
and Mental Asylum, that occupied the site, were demolished in
1908. This building is a remnant of the former Manchester Royal
Infirmary.
The old hospital had a grand entrance facing Piccadilly and two wings
that ran back from it. This building sat between the wings at the
Parker Street end, as indicate by the arrow on the image below.
If you click on the link below
you will see a model of the old infirmary. It is the small building, in
the bottom right-hand corner, with a dome on top.
Infirmary
model
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Further evidence of its origin
can be seen by clicking on the link below. It will take you to a
photograph of the building sitting on a desolate site after the
hospital was demolished and before the garden was created. The
photograph is dated 1910.
Infirmary
demolition
site
Here is a closer view. You can see the "adrift" statue by John Cassidy in the centre of the gardens.
If you click on the link below
you can see it again after the garden
has been created. That photograph is dated 1922.
Piccadilly
Gardens
1922Below is an image in which you
can just see the building, or a fragment of it, in the bottom right
hand corner.
Here is a closer view. You can see the "adrift" statue by John Cassidy in the centre of the gardens.
So, that explains how the
building came to be in Piccadilly Gardens, but
why was it saved when all the other buildings were demolished and how
was it used? That remains a mystery.