The Lowry - Salford Quays, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 28.247 W 002° 17.697
30U E 546799 N 5924875
This combined art gallery and theatre was opened in October 2000 as part of a large redevelopment project at the derelict Manchester docks.
Waymark Code: WMMBX0
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/28/2014
Views: 2
Manchester Docks were a series of nine docks in Salford, Stretford and Manchester at the east end of the Manchester Ship Canal in North West England. They formed part of the Port of Manchester from 1894 until their closure in 1982.
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In 1988, a new arts centre, based at Pier 8, was proposed to raise the cultural profile of the city and bring more businesses and tourism into the area. Salford City Council commissioned the internationally famous architects James Stirling and Michael Wilford.
The Lowry is triangular in shape, to fit with its site at the end of Pier 8. In area it is the size of 5 football pitches. The building stands on 803 concrete piles sunk down into the bedrock; it was made from 48,000 tons of concrete, 2,466 tons of steel and 5,263 sq metres of glass.
From the outside, it has a ship-like appearance, especially when viewed from across the canal. This maritime feeling transmits through to the interior as well. Standing just outside the Lyric Theatre, you can see the porthole windows in the Tower and the stairways and landings that look like ships' gangways.
The Lowry comprises a sequence of geometrical shapes - hexagon, circle, triangle and rectangle. The promenade runs all the way round building is intended to give leisurely access to all parts of the building. The spaces are designed in layers like an onion and decorated with the bright colours that are typical of Michael Wilford's architecture.
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The building is named after local artist L S Lowry. Laurence Stephen "L.S." Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976) was an English artist born in Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for more than 40 years and also Salford and its surrounding areas.
Lowry is famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures often referred to as "matchstick men". He painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished "marionette" works, which were only found after his death."
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The Lowry houses the largest public collection of paintings and drawings by LS Lowry in the world. There are over 400 works in the collection, 57 of which are oil paintings. Alongside the works of art is an archive containing thousands of items ranging from photographs to press cuttings and exhibition catalogues. Both the collection and archive were formed by Salford Museum & Art Gallery and transferred to The Lowry in 2000.
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