So I was wandering around the the fringes of Spinningfields the other week and decided to go a take a sneaky peak on the progress of the new extension to the People’s History Museum (PHM).  

For those of you that don’t know the PHM is Manchester’s only national museum, with a collection that charts the history of working people in Britain. The museum has been closed since October 2007 to undergo a multi-million pound redevelopment which is now nearing completion. 

The redevelopment includes an extension to the original Pump House building which will house the collections, cafe – complete with new riverside terrace, corporate facilities, textile conservation studio and labour history archive and study centre.

The rusty, hulk that forms the new building is a stark, but welcome, contrast to the glass and steel facades of Spinningfields office blocks. Clad in Cor-ten (as used on the sadly missed B of the Bang and the Angel of the North) the structure will weather in time and evolve just like the landscape around it.

If you want to check out the changes for yourself the People’s History Museum are offering two free tours as part of Heritage Open Days on Saturday 12th of September. To get a ‘behind the scenes’ look before the museum is re-opened to the public book your place by calling 0161 228 7212 or e-mail admin@phm.org.uk.