Science and Industry Museum seeks architect for 22,000 sq ft of new exhibition space

The next phase of a £40m rejuvenation of the Manchester museum’s estate will see the creation of two interactive galleries.

Science and Industry Museum is seeking an architect to design Wonderlab, a 12,000 sq ft gallery for young children – aged four to 10 – that will showcase Manchester’s history of invention and “inspire children to think, experiment, and play like inventors”, according to the museum.

Wonderlab would be located on the upper floors of the New Warehouse building, which has recently undergone refurbishment. The plan is for it to open by 2027.

The second new exhibition space the museum is planning is a Technicians Gallery, aimed at 11–16-year-olds. This vision is still going through a feasibility process but could be created within 10,000 sq ft of unused space within the historic arches of the viaduct in the lower courtyard of the museum – also known as the Pineapple Line.

News of the next phase of projects at the museum comes as work to refurbish the Power Hall nears completion.

By the end of 2025, 50% of the Science and Industry Museum’s site will have been refurbished, including the Power Hall, New Warehouse, gantry, and Station Agent’s House, which has been transformed into a holiday let.

Science and Industry Museum director Sally MacDonald, said: “Ahead of the Power Hall re-opening this summer and the completion of a mammoth amount of repair work to our wonderful historic buildings, we can now look forward to future compelling galleries that will help us tell the stories of the world’s first industrial city and ideas that change the world.

“It’s our mission to open the potential of the whole of this globally significant industrial heritage site – to bring all of it back into use and to celebrate it through a journey that allows visitors to explore and understand how the buildings and structures that the museum cares for connect to the collections and stories they contain.   We want to create more access through the site and make the most of the museum’s outdoor spaces for everyone who lives in and visits Manchester and provide more opportunities to inspire the next generation of innovators, thinkers, creators, technicians and scientists whose ideas will continue to change the world.”