Manchester Town Hall, one of the best examples of Victorian Neo-Gothic architecture, is the setting of films like ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘The Iron Lady’, the absolute architectural icon of Manchester and the most favourite building of the Mancunians themselves. A visit to Manchester Town Hall is a journey back to the heyday of the Industrial Revolution.
In the mid-19th century, Manchester was one of the world’s most important industrial cities. The money kept pouring in and the city grew like wildfire. A palatial town hall would surely befit such prosperity and status, so a design competition was held and the winner was the master of Neo-Gothic architecture, architect Alfred Waterhouse. 10 years, 14 million bricks and 1 million pounds sterling later, Manchester had a fairytale-like castle with towers, gargoyles, Victorian frills and a triangular layout.
““The most truly magnificent Gothic apartment in Europe””