Science and Industry Museum announces imminent reopening date for Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery

The Science and Industry Museum is gearing up to mark a monumental milestone by welcoming visitors back inside one of the UK’s most significant industrial heritage buildings.

Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery is a free working gallery that will reopen on Friday 17 October, when visitors can immerse themselves in the sights, smells and sounds of the engine-driven ideas and industry that started in Manchester and went on to change the world. It is the latest building to reopen as part of a multi-million-pound regeneration project currently taking place across the Science and Industry Museum to conserve its historic buildings and reveal new spaces for all visitors to enjoy, play and learn in.

Expect the return of iconic engines, including some that will be running for the first time in more than a decade, alongside a host of new interactives, perspectives and people stories that reveal the innovation of Manchester’s industrial heritage. 

Originally built as a shipping shed for the world’s first inter-city steam powered passenger railway, Power Hall is a globally important, Grade II listed building. It was the building that the museum first opened back in September 1983, when it became home to one of the UK’s largest collections of historic working engines.

Power Hall temporarily closed in 2019 to allow for urgent repair works, a pioneering de-carbonisation project to reduce the building's carbon emissions and a reimagining of its displays, interpretation and visitor experience. It is now thundering towards reopening, bringing with it a train load of working machinery, hands-on interactives and brand-new stories to discover.
A new experience

All the senses will be engaged while exploring this living gallery that showcases a unique collection of historic 19th and early 20th century working engines, powered by 21st century, carbon-neutral infrastructure.  

Stepping back inside Power Hall, visitors will rediscover iconic engines that powered everything from cotton mills to chip shops, electricity generators to railways. These include Pender, a steam locomotive used to transport holiday makers around the Isle of Man in the 1870s, which offers a unique view into its inner workings through its cut away side. The Durn Mill steam engine will also be up and running. Originally used to power weaving machinery at an 1800s mill near Rochdale, engines such as this dramatically increased production and profits, which in turn increased exploitation both locally and globally. Returning visitors will also be pleased to see a replica of the Planet steam locomotive, built by skilled volunteers inside Power Hall in 1992. The original Planet pulled passengers between Liverpool and Manchester from 1830 to 1840 and was the next iteration of steam locomotive after Stephenson’s famous prototype, Rocket.  

There will also be a wealth of new stories on display that focus on the people who have powered our lives both past and present. Whether it’s one of the first women to have a full career as an electrical engineer, or a woman forced to pick cotton on American plantations that was supplied to Manchester’s mills, or a present-day designer of wind turbines, or a control systems engineer who uses ‘digital twins’ to improve real-world industrial processes, Power Hall will showcase the people whose skills and determination have shaped our relationship with energy, from the Industrial Revolution to greener futures.

Brand new interactives will get visitors’ cogs turning as they build, pump, hammer and even crawl their way through a number of hands-on activities aimed at putting problem solving skills to the test. Creators of the future can experiment with motion, mechanics and building materials to discover what it takes to power industrial machines.  

Power Hall is part of one of the biggest heritage restoration projects in the UK and exemplifies engineering in action. Live demonstrations of the working engines will showcase the skills of the museum’s expert team of technicians, explainers, conservationists and intergenerational volunteers, alongside budding engineers on T-level placements, who are working to preserve Manchester’s heritage by ensuring past skills endure and future technical skills and careers develop. It is applying contemporary solutions to keep the locomotives and engines maintained for future generations.

 The Science and Industry Museum has worked collaboratively with visitors and a range of diverse groups and partners to develop this multisensory gallery. They have helped to test ideas, interpretation and interactive displays to ensure that the experience supports a variety of ages, interests and enthusiasms. The new interpretation and activities bring to life the stories of these incredible engines in ways that represent and resonate with our lives today.   

Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum said: “This is a hugely significant moment for our museum, the Science Museum Group and for Manchester. Power Hall symbolises the city’s innovation, creativity and resilience, and we are overjoyed that visitors will soon be back to enjoy all the amazing objects and stories on display.

“Ideas that began in this city have impacted people and places across the world and shaped life as we know it, and Power Hall showcases this in a very physical way.  Our colleagues who first set up this gallery in 1983 knew that science and engineering have always been crucial to Manchester’s success and future growth. Many people have told me that the Power Hall was inspirational for them as children, and I hope now it can inspire a new generation of inventors and technicians.

“A massive thank you to our fantastic collaborators, partners and funders for helping us to create this must-see Manchester experience, and of course to our visitors for their patience and sustained interest while Power Hall has been closed. I speak on behalf of everyone at the museum when I say we can’t wait to welcome you back.”

Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery project has been made possible with support from Andrew Law via his personal foundation, AL Philanthropies. It remains the museum’s largest philanthropic gift to date and will support an education programme centred around the stories and machines in Power Hall, which aims to encourage more young people to pursue careers in STEM by highlighting the diverse people responsible for inventing, building and powering new technology.

Andrew Law said: “I have been delighted to support the regeneration of Power Hall. As well as being steeped in history – science and industry in the Greater Manchester region is again of central importance to both further education and help drive economic growth. With this iconic building back open, we hope that many will be inspired to pursue STEM learning and careers.”

Other supporters include the Wolfson Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Headley Trust, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Atmos International, The Beaverbrooks Charitable Trust, The Zochonis Charitable Trust and other donors who choose to remain anonymous. The museum gives a special thanks to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for their significant contribution to the gallery, and to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for funding the decarbonisation of the Power Hall through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix Finance.
Pioneering architecture and innovative exhibition design

The Grade II listed Power Hall was built in 1855 as the shipping shed for Liverpool Road Station, the world’s first purpose-built passenger railway station. After more than 160 years of exposure to Manchester’s weather, urgent works were needed to restore and improve the building, as well as secure its future. The museum has collaborated with architect and lead designer Carmody Groarke, Manchester building contractor HH Smith & Sons, exhibition designers Studio MUTT and building service engineers, Max Fordham, to repair and protect the building’s heritage, improve the experience for all and ensure that the globally significant collections and building continue to take pride of place.   

Visitors will be welcomed to the 2,500 square metre space through a new central entrance that has improved wayfinding and access. It is reached through the museum's historic Upper Yard, which now provides accessible routes, as well as seating and planting linked to the history of the site, which has been designed by landscape architects Planit working alongside heritage architects Buttress. 

Inside, circulation and sightlines have been clarified by reinstating the historic central platform and goods shed layout. Key collections are displayed along a more accessible route, integrated into re-laid cobbles and timber flooring. Services are carefully concealed and contemporary lighting highlights the architecture, allowing the building’s character and the collection to take centre stage.

Studio Mutt’s timeless exhibition design, alongside Carmody Groarke’s layout, makes the journey for visitors clear and dynamic. New, engaging, people-centred storytelling, increased opportunities for hands-on learning and access to working engines can be enjoyed while celebrating the scale of the building and objects. Contemporary lighting uplifts and draws attention to key objects, impressive LED halos easily define major sections of the gallery and glowing, back-lit historic images set within mirrored surrounds offer plenty of impressive spectacles.  

The vast new roof (the length of a premier league football pitch) re-uses most of the original slates laid over sustainable wood-fibre roof insulation (made from a byproduct of timber). Repairs to timber trusses, conservation of historic brickwork, new insulated roof lights, windows and doors, expanded guttering to manage increased rainfall, the installation of a new electric boiler powered by a vast new water source heat network and new LED lighting ensure the building is weather resistant and sustainable.  
 Preserving skills and inspiring futures

The Science and Industry Museum is dedicated to bridging the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills gap and making Greater Manchester a world leading city for STEM excellence. Power Hall is brimming with live examples of building STEM skills in action. Its team of expert colleagues and volunteers are both preserving heritage knowledge and skills and inspiring futures through a programme of intergenerational volunteer and T-level placements caring for and demonstrating the engines. Creative problem solving, testing and experimenting are some of the enduring technical skills that will be visible in Power Hall to ensure visitors not only benefit from seeing these spectacular objects in action but leave future generations feeling inspired.
Improved accessibility

Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery is a space for everyone. Significant work has taken place to ensure it provides an accessible and enjoyable experience for all visitors. These include accessible routes, digital 360˚ views inside historical railway cabs, BSL interpreted videos and tactile illustrations of parts the engines to accompany braille captions.

As ever, care has been taken to retain original features such as the cobbled floor, while introducing practical new surfaces of timber flooring and concrete. This balance ensures the spirit of the 1855 shipping shed is preserved within a building that is now more accessible.

Sustainability for the future

As a science museum, STEM is central to the Science and Industry Museum’s approach to this project, and it has harnessed the latest sustainable technologies to heat and light Power Hall, as well as power its historical collection in a greener way.  

As part of a sector-leading programme of de-carbonisation, which places zero carbon technologies at the heart of the visitor experience, the museum has used the natural resource of water from an underground aquifer to heat its buildings, a renewable resource which was first used to power the Industrial Revolution from this site in the early 19^th century and is now being used to power a green revolution. It has also installed an electric boiler to produce the steam needed to run its historic steam engines. This work has been carried out in partnership with building service engineers, Max Fordham, and aims to save 515 tonnes of carbon site-wide per year – equivalent to the average C02 emissions of over 30 UK homes per year. The full system is on display, alongside new interpretation and a touchscreen interactive that enables visitors to explore this cutting-edge technology. 

Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery will reopen on Friday 17 October. Visits to Power Hall are free and included as part of a free museum ticket.

In this time, the museum has collaborated with architect and lead designer Carmody Groake to reimagine and improve the Power Hall experience and conserve the building’s history, and with Studio MUTT to create an engaging interpretation of the historic collection through the exhibition design. This reimagined space will allow visitors to rediscover their favourite objects from fresh perspectives uncover the stories behind those who powered and continue to power Manchester’s industry. The Power Hall will explore the building blocks of the relationship between human and engine that was born in Manchester and endures to this day.

Alongside these new experiences, the much-loved exhibits and atmosphere that visitors will recall from before 2019 will be retained. The space will provide a sensory experience through the sounds, smells and sights of Manchester’s past and present industry, and be a lively, working gallery full of engines and rail vehicles.

Three main themes will guide visitors through the hall:

• Making More will explore how engines helped people to make more, faster – featuring the steam engines factory and mill owners eagerly installed to boost their productivity and profits from the 1800’s onwards, at a cost to people and the environment.
• Powering Lives will examine how engines power the electricity network we plug into, and touch on how today’s scientists and engineers are developing greener ways to power our lives.
• Connecting Places will take a closer look at how people used locomotives to connect communities around the world. Starting at the site of the museum, which in 1830 was the Manchester terminus of the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway, it will explore the factors that sparked a transport revolution.

Kate Chatfield, Interpretation and Content Manager at the Science and Industry Museum, said: “Power Hall: The Law Family Gallery will be a must-see Manchester experience - a living gallery that showcases a unique collection of historic 19th and early 20th century working engines to tell the story of Manchester as an epicentre for the engine-driven ideas and industry that shaped the world as we know it today.

“Our most iconic objects will be available to explore like never before as we bring to life the people behind the power through stories of the engineers, makers and technicians who use their skills and senses to create and care for engines, both today and in the past.”

The work to reimagine the hall is part of a multi-million-pound regeneration project currently taking place across the Science and Industry Museum. This regeneration aims to conserve the museum’s historic buildings and reveal new spaces for all visitors to enjoy, play and learn in. Since closing in 2019, the hall has undergone crucial restoration works to futureproof it for years to come, including urgent roof and timber repairs, new windows and doors and wider building conservation.

The accessible gallery will complement the building’s grand, historic industrial architecture, with the design working seamlessly with the new architectural interventions in the space to create a visitor experience that engages all the senses. The Power Hall sits at the heart of the Science and Industry Museum’s vision to deliver a sector-leading programme of decarbonisation, that places zero carbon technologies at the centre of the visitor experience and creating a sustainable museum for the future.

Further information about what to see and do and the Power Hall’s opening date will be announced in the coming weeks. Sign up to the museum’s mailing list to be among the first to hear more.

In the meantime, visitors can read some fascinating online stories celebrating the stories of women who will be featured in the Power Hall, the historic railway engines that are on display showcasing a century of innovation, and the modern-day stories of local people working with engines.

Power Hall: The Law Family Gallery project has been made possible with support from The Law Family Charitable Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Headley Trust, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Atmos International, The Beaverbrooks Charitable Trust, The Zochonis Charitable Trust and other donors who choose to remain anonymous.

Special thanks to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for their significant contribution to the gallery, and to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for funding the decarbonisation of the Power Hall through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix Finance.