MOSI’s new café, shop and conference facilities are now open for business as the first stage of the main building redevelopment has reached completion. Come and check them out to get a taste of what’s to come with the rest of the redeveloped building!
MOSI’s smart new shop has an expanded range of unusual gifts, educational games, books, models and toys. Too stressed by high street shopping? The relaxed environment of the beautifully-designed new Museum shop gives you time and space to find the right gift. From model aeroplanes and science kits, to history books, recycled glassware and quirky fridge magnets, there's something for everyone. On the way out you can drop into one of your favourite galleries and learn something about Manchester's fascinating history too!
The new café serves up freshly brewed coffee and a range of tasty cakes, hot drinks, sandwiches and snacks. Its lofty ceiling is a reminder that this was once part of a vast railway warehouse, and floor-to-ceiling windows allow the light to flood in. The funky new café design includes a desk inspired by the industrial steel girders seen throughout the Museum site. Relax in the comfy armchairs and people-watch in historic Castlefield.
We've already had our first corporate clients and first wedding in MOSI's plush new conference centre, which opened at the weekend! In the dedicated conference space delegates can use one of four new meeting rooms, seating between 14 and 40 people in a variety of layouts, including theatre, boardroom, u-shape and cabaret. There will also be a state-of-the-art function room which can be adapted to accommodate a wide variety of group sizes, from 50 to 350, in theatre, reception, banquet or cabaret style. The room can be used for dinner dances and can seat up to 200. When the new Revolution Manchester gallery is complete in December this will also be available for corporate hire (upto 200 people for dinner).
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Monday, 27 September 2010
Back to the future
As alluded to in Friday's progress update. MOSI has elected to rename the Main Building to the Great Western Warehouse. Here is a short article from the new issue of our Revolution MOSI newsletter, briefly explaining the reasons behind the decision to change the name, and the historic importance of the Great Western Warehouse name:
The Museum looked to the past for inspiration when renaming one of its iconic buildings as part of the ongoing 'Revolution MOSI' site development.
"The reason for changing the name of our Main Building to the Great Western Warehouse is to make more of the site's heritage, of which the buildings are a key part of that", explains Marketing Manager Jill Flynn. "For some time now, visitors have not been aware of the significance of the site on which the Museum is located, and therefore, by giving the building its original name, this not only goes someway to explaining the history of the site and the buildings' initial purpose, but also gives the beautifully restored former Victorian warehouse the name it deserves."
What's in a name?
Was... Main Building
Now... Great Western Warehouse
Why... The warehouse was built in 1880 to provide storage for the Great Western Railway or 'God's Wonderful Railway' as it was affectionately nicknamed. Rail tracks ran into the ground floor from the adjoining viaduct, providing a transit area and loading platforms either side of the tracks allowing goods to be loaded and unloaded straight from the trains onto waiting road wagons. The wagons could enter the Warehouse through doors along the Upper Yard and on Lower Byrom Street or park outside the loading bays on the North Side.
Issue 4 of our Revolution MOSI broadsheet newsletter will be available for download from the official MOSI website soon.
The Museum looked to the past for inspiration when renaming one of its iconic buildings as part of the ongoing 'Revolution MOSI' site development.
"The reason for changing the name of our Main Building to the Great Western Warehouse is to make more of the site's heritage, of which the buildings are a key part of that", explains Marketing Manager Jill Flynn. "For some time now, visitors have not been aware of the significance of the site on which the Museum is located, and therefore, by giving the building its original name, this not only goes someway to explaining the history of the site and the buildings' initial purpose, but also gives the beautifully restored former Victorian warehouse the name it deserves."
What's in a name?
Was... Main Building
Now... Great Western Warehouse
Why... The warehouse was built in 1880 to provide storage for the Great Western Railway or 'God's Wonderful Railway' as it was affectionately nicknamed. Rail tracks ran into the ground floor from the adjoining viaduct, providing a transit area and loading platforms either side of the tracks allowing goods to be loaded and unloaded straight from the trains onto waiting road wagons. The wagons could enter the Warehouse through doors along the Upper Yard and on Lower Byrom Street or park outside the loading bays on the North Side.
Issue 4 of our Revolution MOSI broadsheet newsletter will be available for download from the official MOSI website soon.
Friday, 24 September 2010
24th September 2010 - Progress Update
Following yet another week of frenzied activity. Work in several areas of the building is nearing practical completion. The public can expect to have their first sight of selected areas of the newly refurbished, and newly named, Great Western Warehouse building this weekend. The Information Area, Shop, Cafe and Basement toilets are expected to be the first areas of the building to be opened to the public, possibly as early as this weekend.
The Ground Floor Shop and Café were handed back to MOSI earlier this week for cleaning and stocking, whilst on the Second Floor, carpet has been fitted and the respective fit-out teams have moved into the Conferencing and Banqueting areas to put the final touches to our inspiring new meeting facilities.
Elsewhere, the new entrance area is also nearing completion. New automatic doors have been installed, tested and commissioned and the entrance paving has also been replaced, giving a much more spacious look to the Museum entrance.
Don't forget, You can view many more photographs from within the building at our photobucket site.
The Ground Floor Shop and Café were handed back to MOSI earlier this week for cleaning and stocking, whilst on the Second Floor, carpet has been fitted and the respective fit-out teams have moved into the Conferencing and Banqueting areas to put the final touches to our inspiring new meeting facilities.
Elsewhere, the new entrance area is also nearing completion. New automatic doors have been installed, tested and commissioned and the entrance paving has also been replaced, giving a much more spacious look to the Museum entrance.
Don't forget, You can view many more photographs from within the building at our photobucket site.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
21st September - Special Update - The Return of the Mini
The removal of the iconic Experiment mini, captured in this excellent time-captured video by our photographer Michael England, became one of the most symbolic moments of the project so far. The removal of the mini signified the demolition and removal of the final remains of the old building.
Earlier today, in the most momentous sign of the progress being made within the building, the Mini was returned to its throne at the heart of the brand new Experiment gallery by MOSI’s own Technical Services team.
The Lifting the Mini interactive exhibit is located below an atrium cut within the second floor, enabling it to rise between floors, giving a spectacular and totally unique experience for our conference clients and educational groups on second floor, who will see the mini literally popping up from beneath them!
This is by no means the last of the incredible new experiences that we have in store for our visitors in the exciting new gallery spaces. Please keep checking back for news on how the building is progressing, and the other surprises we have up our sleeves.
Visit our Photobucket site for more pictures of the Mini in it's new home, and much more from within the building
Earlier today, in the most momentous sign of the progress being made within the building, the Mini was returned to its throne at the heart of the brand new Experiment gallery by MOSI’s own Technical Services team.
The Lifting the Mini interactive exhibit is located below an atrium cut within the second floor, enabling it to rise between floors, giving a spectacular and totally unique experience for our conference clients and educational groups on second floor, who will see the mini literally popping up from beneath them!
This is by no means the last of the incredible new experiences that we have in store for our visitors in the exciting new gallery spaces. Please keep checking back for news on how the building is progressing, and the other surprises we have up our sleeves.
Visit our Photobucket site for more pictures of the Mini in it's new home, and much more from within the building
Monday, 20 September 2010
Progress Update - 20th September 2010
The refurbishment has hit fever pitch over the last fortnight, with a team of almost 200 construction workers and specialist sub-contractors working into the night to ensure that the building will be delivered on schedule.
The team have made astonishing progress in the Ground Floor, which has been a particular hive of activity over the last week. Construction work is largely complete in the shop, café and information area. Since the last update, flooring, lighting and mains power have also been installed in all of these areas. The fit out of the shop display furniture is nearing completion with only final works, such as the installation of a false ceiling, remaining. The café area is also progressing at a rapid pace, having been handed over to our catering fit out team, who are busy installing the servery and display furniture.
The entrance to the Museum has been completely overhauled as part of this project. The Main Entrance has been relocated to make access to our outstanding galleries and facilities much easier for our visitors. New folding entrance doors have been installed and are being tested. In our brand new entrance foyer, construction work is again nearing completion, and the area is in the process of being transferred to the respective fit out teams. New flooring has been laid, lighting and electrics are being worked on and a new information desk is being installed at this very moment!
These areas of the Ground Floor will be the first areas of the new building that the public will have the opportunity to view. Excitingly, this could be much sooner than you would imagine.
Due to the allocation of most of the teams’ resources towards the ground floor, work on the other floors has been limited. On the Second Floor, the Education suite has been fully decorated with furniture has been fitted in the classrooms, whilst good progress has been made in the conference suite, which has also been fully decorated, with glazing and lighting installed. There are just some final works remaining on the flooring and final glazing of the atrium areas.
Work on the First floor has been limited. Flooring has been installed in the restaurant area, and this will shortly be undergoing a full fit out by catering contractors, who are currently hard at work installed our new kitchen.
Finally, the first area to reach practical completion has been the basement toilet area, which is now practically complete and has been handed back to MOSI by the building team for cleaning.
Progress updates will be coming thick and fast over the coming weeks, so please check back regularly. Don’t forget to add your comments. We are eager to hear from you and we want your thoughts on what you’ve seen so far, and what your hopes are for the new building.
For our massive latest photographic update from inside the building, visit our photobucket site.
The team have made astonishing progress in the Ground Floor, which has been a particular hive of activity over the last week. Construction work is largely complete in the shop, café and information area. Since the last update, flooring, lighting and mains power have also been installed in all of these areas. The fit out of the shop display furniture is nearing completion with only final works, such as the installation of a false ceiling, remaining. The café area is also progressing at a rapid pace, having been handed over to our catering fit out team, who are busy installing the servery and display furniture.
The entrance to the Museum has been completely overhauled as part of this project. The Main Entrance has been relocated to make access to our outstanding galleries and facilities much easier for our visitors. New folding entrance doors have been installed and are being tested. In our brand new entrance foyer, construction work is again nearing completion, and the area is in the process of being transferred to the respective fit out teams. New flooring has been laid, lighting and electrics are being worked on and a new information desk is being installed at this very moment!
These areas of the Ground Floor will be the first areas of the new building that the public will have the opportunity to view. Excitingly, this could be much sooner than you would imagine.
Due to the allocation of most of the teams’ resources towards the ground floor, work on the other floors has been limited. On the Second Floor, the Education suite has been fully decorated with furniture has been fitted in the classrooms, whilst good progress has been made in the conference suite, which has also been fully decorated, with glazing and lighting installed. There are just some final works remaining on the flooring and final glazing of the atrium areas.
Work on the First floor has been limited. Flooring has been installed in the restaurant area, and this will shortly be undergoing a full fit out by catering contractors, who are currently hard at work installed our new kitchen.
Finally, the first area to reach practical completion has been the basement toilet area, which is now practically complete and has been handed back to MOSI by the building team for cleaning.
Progress updates will be coming thick and fast over the coming weeks, so please check back regularly. Don’t forget to add your comments. We are eager to hear from you and we want your thoughts on what you’ve seen so far, and what your hopes are for the new building.
For our massive latest photographic update from inside the building, visit our photobucket site.
Monday, 6 September 2010
3rd September 2010 - Progress Update
Work has continued at a remarkable pace over the last few weeks, with the building team working long and hard to ensure that the refurbishment continues to take shape. Structural work in the educational and conferencing suites is largely complete, the building team have since progressed onto redecoration and the mechanical and electrical installation. There has even been some furniture installed!
The shop and café in particular beginning to become more recognisable to the untrained eye. Both areas have all new flooring, and the shop fitters been busy installing new display shelving and roller shutters. The team are continuing to prepare the main ground floor spaces to house our incredible new Revolution MOSI gallery and a hugely improved and much more welcoming entrance area.
On the first floor, flooring is being installed in the new Experiment gallery whilst the designers AVIAF and MOSI’s own Technical Services team are collaborating off-site on a mix of brand new exhibits and refurbished classics that will take pride of place within the gallery.
Why not give yourself a more up-to-date picture of the redevelopment by viewing the latest pictorial updates on our photobucket page?
Don't forget to join our new Facebook group for all the latest information, or simply to share your thoughts, videos and photographs of MOSI.
The shop and café in particular beginning to become more recognisable to the untrained eye. Both areas have all new flooring, and the shop fitters been busy installing new display shelving and roller shutters. The team are continuing to prepare the main ground floor spaces to house our incredible new Revolution MOSI gallery and a hugely improved and much more welcoming entrance area.
On the first floor, flooring is being installed in the new Experiment gallery whilst the designers AVIAF and MOSI’s own Technical Services team are collaborating off-site on a mix of brand new exhibits and refurbished classics that will take pride of place within the gallery.
Why not give yourself a more up-to-date picture of the redevelopment by viewing the latest pictorial updates on our photobucket page?
Don't forget to join our new Facebook group for all the latest information, or simply to share your thoughts, videos and photographs of MOSI.
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