Chetham's School of Music, Manchester, United Kingdom

Chetham's School of Music is a world-class and unique music establishment, the medieval library is a unique, world-class building. To have these located together, on a single site at the heart of one of Europe's most dynamic city regions, represents a very special opportunity of international significance.

WORLD-CLASS MUSIC SCHOOL

With 290 students aged between eight and 18, the project is the largest music school in the UK and the only one based in the North of England.

Providing world-class education to talented young musicians from all over the country and the world, it is celebrated internationally and is one of Manchester's greatest assets.

Chetham's Library has remained open to the public since its inception, in accordance with the wishes of the founder. The original 17th and early 18th century furnishings survive in rooms occupied in the 15th century by the priests and wardens, and remain much as they were when used by such distinguished visitors as Celia Fiennes, Daniel Defoe, Robert Southey, John Dalton, Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx.

Proposals intend to update the existing boarding accommodation to 21st century standards whilst constructing a contemporary new school on the vacant site immediately to the north of the campus.

A DIVERSE VENUE

The new school comprises a variety of diverse functions including: a concert hall, recital hall, school dining hall, foyer, music school, academic school and school library.

The challenge is to provide a public performance venue whilst maximising a service and inspirational environment for the music school pupils. This will be done using the site topography, placing the public accessible spaces on the ground floor and below, providing delivery access to the lower areas approximately 6m below entry level. The school rises above the ground floor and is divided between highly insulated acoustic music rooms and more open academic classrooms.

A bridge link over Walkers Croft from the existing school buildings allows the staff and students (most of whom board) daily secure access to and from the living accommodation currently housed in New College House and Millgate Building.

The relocation renders the existing Palatine Building obsolete. Proposals include its demolition, a building of questionable architectural merit, re-establish open views to Chetham's Library and Alfred Waterhouse's Vallins building from Victoria Street and beyond.

By reinforcing this visual link with the city, the existing buildings would be presented on their original exposed sandstone outcrop, reconnecting the project with the city.

This is not just a project about a new school, a concert hall, boarding accommodation and an old library, but about saving a unique and world-class educational institution on the one hand, and an outstanding historic building for the nation on the other. This is a project that sits at the core of the ambitions of the Manchester city region, which is looking to preserve and enhance its unique assets for the long-term benefit of its people.

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