4 HOURS IN... MANCHESTER

WORDS HANNAH BRANDLER

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MANCHESTER

Innovation District

Take a stroll through the Mancunian Innovation District and discover new cultural venues, food pop-ups, plus unusual museum exhibitions

1 OXFORD ROAD CORRIDOR Stretching south from St Peter’s Square in the city centre lies the Oxford Road Corridor, a one square mile area which is home to 42,000 residents, 74,000 students and 8,800 businesses – plus accounts for 20 per cent of the city’s economic output. is collaborative project aims to be “Manchester’s cosmopolitan hub and world-class innovation district” by 2025. is shouldn’t be too hard given its pioneering history – it’s where Rutherford split the atom, Alan Turing invented the modern computer, and graphene was discovered. e area has a campuslike feel, featuring various businesses, academic institutions – including the city’s two universities – and contemporary green spaces. Its impressive cultural venues, many of which are covered here, attract more than two million visitors per year. Ongoing projects include the multi-million-pound Circle Square neighbourhood, located on the site of the former BBC building, which opened in 2021 but is still awaiting F&B venues. Plus, the Manchester Museum is set to reopen in February 2023 following a £13 million redevelopment. 2 HATCH Innovation extends beyond academia to exciting dining and entertainment venues. Located under the Mancunian Way yover on Oxford Road lies Hatch, a food, drink and retail pop-up occupies a series of colourful shipping containers. Since opening in 2018, the site has trebled in size and now features 30 independent traders – from hairdressers to a shoe-cleaning boutique and rotating street food stalls. We recommend the plantbased Bondi Bowls for healthy Aussie fast-food – its namesake bowl lled with black rice, kale, edamame, charred corn, hummus and miso dressing is a must – and co ee from Takk espresso bar. ere’s no need to restrict yourself to one cuisine as you can order from multiple vendors via the Good Eats app. Enjoy in the open-air courtyard, or on one of its roo op terraces, accompanied by live music sets. hatchmcr.com

3 THE WHITWORTH Part of e University of Manchester, this red brick gallery was founded in 1889 in memory of engineer Sir Joseph Whitworth. A £15 million redevelopment in 2015 saw e Whitworth double in size, making space for its 55,000 works of art, textiles and wallpaper, while also integrating into the neighbouring seven-hectare park, with steel and glass wings overlooking the landscaped gardens. Its collection of approximately 10,000 wallpapers has inspired its latest exhibition Open House, which explores the lives experienced within interiors. e gallery is inviting the public to get involved by sharing photos and anecdotes, with the exhibition set to expand into the neighbouring room – get in touch by emailing whitworthopenhouse@gmail.com. Meanwhile, the powerful Still Parents exhibition, run in partnership with Manchester SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity), gives a platform to those who have experienced the loss of a baby. It’s a beautiful, though tragic, display

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which promotes open conversation through the sharing of personal stories and meaningful artworks or objects chosen by participants. Exit the gallery via the Sarah Pricedesigned garden, and walk along the south side of the building to see the life-size stainless steel tree by Scottish artist Anya Gallaccio – a tribute to a tree felled during the renovation. whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

4 PANKHURST CENTRE is small museum located at 60-62 Nelson Street is dedicated to the Pankhurst women, located within the former home of the namesake family. e building was saved from demolition in the 1980s and opened to the public in 1987, undergoing a refurbishment last year before reopening with its “At Home With e Pankhurst Family” exhibition. e three rooms explore the lives and achievements of Emmeline and her family, and the formation of the su ragette movement. Highlights include an interactive space with a video detailing their ght for the vote, the pristinely kept Edwardian parlour which housed the rst-ever meeting of the Women’s Social and Political Union (later known as the su ragettes) in 1903, and the beautiful ‘su ragette garden’ with themed benches. An additional room traces women’s activism in Manchester since 1918, hoping to inspire the next generation of campaigners. e building goes beyond narrating the past – in 2014 it merged with Manchester Women’s Aid and houses its headquarters, supporting victims of domestic abuse and women’s activism in the community. Entry is free, though donations are encouraged, and by pre-booked tickets. Open ursdays and Sundays 11am-4pm. pankhurstmuseum.com 5 COCKTAILS IN THE CLOCKTOWER Finish o your four hours with a well-deserved drink at e Refuge. Return to Oxford Road, and make your way towards the Grade IIlisted clocktower building, which originally opened as the headquarters of e Refuge Assurance Company in 1895 and is now occupied by a luxury Kimpton hotel. Pass through its attractive glass-domed lobby and take a le into e Refuge – a stunning 929 sqm area made up of a public bar and dining room, clad with glazed brick, tiles and stained glass, and a leafy courtyard-like winter garden. e bar is a gorgeous setting for daytime co ee and co-working, and, as the night falls, there are DJ sets with delicious cocktails – expect tipples inspired by the area ( e Glamour of Manchester, Tra ord Sour and Salford Sling), some fantastic non-alcoholic options and small plates. refugemcr.co.uk 5

PANKHURST CENTRE; HANNAH BRANDLER BEN WILLIAMS; MICHAEL POLLARD 2019;