Whitworth Art Gallery

The renovation and extension of the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester has already received a lot of praise and critical acclaim. Winner of an RIBA Regional award, National Award, Shortlisted for the Stirling Prize and winner of the Supreme Award at the Brick Awards, this building is a masterclass in combining traditional materials and surroundings with a contemporary building.

MUMA approached Northcot Brick, an EH Smith company, to prepare a bespoke blend of bricks to match the existing Edwardian building.

As a significant contribution to the renovation, Northcot created the bespoke ‘Whitworth Blend’, which reflects the original dark red bricks of the Edwardian building.

Approximately 90,000 smooth machine made bricks make up the solid elements of the expansive north wing and lower ground floor.

The intricate brickwork pattern draws inspiration from the gallery’s extensive textile collection, in particular the ‘slash and stich’ work, which is made from handmade matching specials.