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Bridgewater Hall
Manchester's world famous Hallé
Orchestra
performed for much of its history in the Free Tade Hall on Peter
Street. The Hallé is Britain's longest established professional
symphony orchestra. It was founded in Manchester by the pianist and
conductor Charles Hallé in 1858 and it gave its first concert in the
Free Trade Hall that year. The Hallé moved to the Bridgewater Hall in
1996.
The architectural practice of Renton Howard
Wood Levin designed this international concert hall and Rob Harris of
Arup Acoustics designed the acoustics. In the image below, shown here
with the generous permission of Len
Grant, you can see the ground preparation stage for the
construction of the hall.
In all the building is said to
have cost £42 Million and is named after the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
who commissioned the Bridgewater Canal which crosses Manchester.
Ironically, the canal basin next to the hall is part of the Rochdale
Canal. The public area next to the hall is called Barbarolli Square
after Sir John Barbirolli, one of the Hallé's famous conductors.  A huge, highly polished
Touchstone stands
close to the entrance doorway. It was created by the sculptor Kan
Yasuda.
   The main auditorium sits on an
earthquake-proof isolation system that insulates the foundation from
the superstructure and serves to insulate the building from the
vibration of passing traffic and the Metrolink trams. Inside is an
auditorium that seats 2,400 that is dominated by an amazing organ which
boasts 5,500 pipes and covers the rear wall. The Bridgewater Hall web
site describes the organ thus:
"The visual impact of the auditorium climaxes in the spectacular façade of the organ, an instrument more completely integrated into the architectural and spatial composition of the space than in any other hall yet built. This remarkable £1.2 million pipe organ was designed and built by Marcussen's, a Danish family-owned company, whose traditional working methods have scarcely changed since they were established in 1806. Every joint in the massive wooden carcass was cut by hammer and chisel, and the swell boxes and casework are as beautifully crafted as hand-made furniture. Taking three years to design and build and eighteen weeks to voice - the process which ensures that the pipes in each rank speak with the same 'family accent' - The Bridgewater Hall organ is a major work of art and technology, More than 42 feet high and 45 feet wide, it weighs a mighty 22 tons. With 76 stops, a battery of Trompettes en Chamade, 5,500 pipes of tin and lead, copper and pine ranging in size from 2 inches to 32 feet in length (the largest weighs over 300 pounds) this splendid instrument is destined to become one of the great recital organs of northern Europe."    Close Window |
