The Corn Exchange, Manchester is a food court and former shopping centre, situated in Exchange Square. Its history dates back to 1837 when Richard Lane designed the first Corn Exchange, which was deemed too small. A larger building, designed in the Baroque style, was commissioned and built between 1896 and 1903. Each section of the current building was designed by a different architect: Ball & Elce and Potts, Son, & Hennings respectively. The Grand Imperial Hall is a striking architectural marvel and stands as a testament to the opulence of the era.
With the decline of trading in corn, the building found a new life as a bustling market emporium for alternative subcultures in the 1960s. In 1996, this historical building was shattered when an IRA bomb destroyed the glass dome, causing substantial damage to the structure. It was subsequently renovated and reopened as the Triangle Shopping Centre. In 2012, it was relaunched as the Corn Exchange, Manchester, and plans were made to convert the building into a food outlet and hotel.
Demolition work commenced in 2014, and a food outlet opened in the complex in 2015. An apartment hotel, developed by Roomzzz Aparthotels, opened in 2018.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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