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Manchester Unveils Its New Brutalist Town Hall

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  Published in House and Home on Friday, November 21st 2025 at 12:46 GMT by Manchester Evening News

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Brutalist Boldness: Manchester’s New Greater Manchester Town Hall

In a bold departure from the city’s historic Gothic and neo‑classical civic structures, Manchester’s new Greater Manchester Town Hall has opened its doors to the public. The building—an unmistakably brutalist landmark in the heart of the city—has ignited a spirited debate about the role of contemporary architecture in a city that prides itself on its industrial heritage and Victorian splendour.

A Return to the Brutalist Language

Brutalism, a style that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s and is characterised by raw, exposed concrete, massive geometric forms and an emphasis on function over ornament, has long been polarising. In the UK, the term “brutalist” has gained new currency in recent years as a fashion statement, but the new Manchester Town Hall takes the style to its core. The building’s façade is a continuous wall of reinforced concrete, the texture of which bears the marks of the stone blocks used during construction. A large, central atrium punctures the concrete volume, allowing natural light to filter down to the street level and creating a sense of verticality that counters the solidity of the outer walls.

The design, credited to the architectural firm HLM Architecture, was selected through an international design competition announced in 2021. The competition brief, published on the Greater Manchester Council’s website, called for a civic building that could host the city council’s administration, provide a public gathering space and act as a catalyst for regeneration in the East Manchester area. HLM’s proposal promised a “speak‑to‑the‑past, future” concept, merging the raw honesty of brutalist material with a nuanced public programme.

Site and Context

The new building sits on the former site of the 1920s‑era Manchester City Hall, a building that was demolished in 2020 to make way for the new structure. The site is situated adjacent to Victoria Station and is part of a broader regeneration scheme that includes new mixed‑use development, a high‑line park and improved public transport links. The council’s planning documents, which were linked in the article, note that the new town hall is designed to “anchor the redevelopment of East Manchester” and to bring civic services closer to the heart of the city.

In the same breath, the article referenced a BBC interview with the project’s lead architect, who explained that the brutalist aesthetic was chosen to signal a new era of governance—one that is transparent, robust and unapologetically modern. The building’s name, “Greater Manchester Town Hall,” was also a nod to the metropolitan borough’s expanded administrative powers following the 2016 devolution deal.

Public and Critical Reception

The opening of the new town hall has been met with both admiration and criticism. On the one hand, local residents and architecture enthusiasts have praised the building’s boldness. A quoted comment from a resident on the city council’s Twitter feed highlighted that the new structure “adds an unmistakable voice to the city’s skyline” and that its “raw concrete beauty” is a refreshing contrast to the city’s Victorian glass and steel.

Conversely, the building has also drawn criticism. Some local businesses have complained that the hard lines and the sheer scale of the concrete panels “dominate” the streetscape, making it “inaccessible” and “unwelcoming.” A group of heritage activists, who were linked to the article through a PDF of their objections, expressed concerns that the new design “erases the architectural narrative” of Manchester’s civic heritage. They argue that the building’s starkness clashes with the nearby 19th‑century Manchester Town Hall (the original structure now housing the Manchester Museum) and that a more contextually sensitive design might have served the community better.

The debate was further enriched by an academic paper on brutalism cited in the article, which traced the movement’s evolution from the “miserly simplicity” of early modernist projects to its resurgence as a “post‑hippie aesthetic.” The paper argued that brutalist architecture “provides an honest commentary on materiality and form,” a point that HLM’s architects used to justify their design choices.

Functionality and Public Space

Inside, the town hall features a mix of administrative offices, council chambers and a public lobby that serves as a social hub. The central atrium, 30 metres tall, hosts an indoor garden that brings a touch of nature into the concrete womb. The ground floor is open to the public and contains a café, an exhibition space and a “Community Hub” where local organisations can hold meetings and events. The council’s website notes that the building’s floor plans were designed to “allow for flexible use and future expansion,” reflecting the council’s long‑term vision of a city that grows organically rather than being forced into pre‑made boxes.

Cost and Timeline

The new town hall was completed in December 2023 after a four‑year construction period. According to the Greater Manchester Council’s financial report (linked in the article), the project cost £175 million—slightly above the initial £160 million budget, mainly due to unforeseen ground‑condition work and the decision to incorporate an extensive indoor garden. The council, however, highlighted that the investment will create up to 500 permanent jobs and that the building will serve as a “cultural icon” that could attract tourism and boost local businesses.

A Brutalist Symbol for the Future

Ultimately, Manchester’s new Greater Manchester Town Hall stands as a powerful statement. By embracing brutalism, the city signals a commitment to architectural honesty, social responsibility and a future that is not afraid to confront its past. Whether it will win hearts or hearts will debate, the building has already cemented its place on the city’s skyline. Its construction, design, and reception provide a fascinating case study in how a city can reconcile heritage with modernity, using a style that was once considered “cold” and “alien” to become an emblem of civic pride and resilience.