#manchester — Modernist Delights

Charles Street multi-storey car fortress, Manchester, 2026

A multi-storey concrete car park features a central dark brick stairwell with bright blue metal stairs. A black hatchback is parked at the base, and graffiti marks the wall near a closed metal shutter. The sky above is bright with wispy clouds.

A vertical brick stairwell tower stands between levels of an open-air concrete car park. Bright blue railings follow the zig-zagging stairs, which are marked by layers of graffiti. A thin mesh fence partially covers the ground level, and a cloudy blue sky sits above.

Heard this week that demolition of this one has begun, or rather, “there’s chunks missing out of it,” in my boyfriend’s parlance. The MEN reports it’s set to be replaced by student housing “inspired by nearby listed modernist icon, the Renold Building” — which means it’s going to be clad in white, in short.

This one holds a special place in my heart, having featured in the first post on here.

CIS Tower and New Century Hall, Manchester, 2026

A city street with cars driving and tall, modern office buildings with glass windows under a cloudy sky. To the right, an older stone building with a curved façade is visible. Pedestrians walk on pavements and zebra crossings in the foreground.

‘Hollaway Wall’ by Antony Hollaway, Manchester, 2025

Four tall concrete slabs with blue-bordered white graffiti letters “AW,” “O,” and “V.” Additional colourful tags and graffiti cover the slabs. Trees and a fence are on the left; a brick building with windows is on the right. Sunlight filters through leaves.

A concrete pillar covered in various colourful graffiti tags and spray-painted words, mostly in black, yellow, and red. On the left, a mural features a partial white circle outlined in blue and yellow, contrasting the rough, layered tags on the pillar.

Apollo Club signage & bonus mosaic tiling, Manchester, 2025

A tall, white tiled building facade features a vintage vertical sign reading Club Apollo. Below the sign is a small Werstecks beer advert. The building next to it has red-brown bricks. The sky above is cloudy.

A weathered building wall shows damaged red bricks, cracked plaster, and faded blue mosaic tiles. Pipes run vertically, and a black metal fence is in the foreground. Electrical boxes and vents are visible near the top. Sky and buildings appear in the background.

Industrial building, Ardwick, Manchester, 2025

A tall, old brick building with a faded ZAM ZAM sign stands behind a white MOT service garage. The sky is cloudy, and green tree branches are visible on the right side. The buildings show signs of age and wear.

A decaying industrial building of no architectural significance is my version of Marge Simpson’s “I just think they’re neat” potato.

Apollo Theatre / O2 Apollo Manchester (Hyde Road entrance), 2025

A derelict, white Art Deco building with boarded-up windows and graffiti on its facade. Four cars are parked in front. A street sign and lamp post are visible on the pavement. The sky is partly cloudy.

The side entrance to the O2 Apollo Manchester, the main entrance featuring a glazed white terracotta façade on Stockport Road. Why two entrances? UKmender on Cinema Treasures explains:

…the entrance on Hyde Road was a common ploy used where many cinemas were located at busy corners. Though the main frontage is on Stockport Road, it was originally thought advantageous for the building to also have a presence on Hyde Road, directly opposite the popular Manchester Hippodrome theatre.

(…)

Both entrances were, originally, similarly decorated and both contained box-offices. The Hyde Road entrance also gave access to the integral cafe and ballroom. Some attempts were made to run it as a separate venue but it is currently abandoned.

Notice, too, the barely visible Club signage on the left side of the building.

Norvic House, Manchester, 2025

A busy street scene with people walking past shops, including a comic shop and a record shop, at the base of a modern building with large blue and white windows. Older brick buildings and parked cars line the street under a partly cloudy sky.

A three-storey building with blue and white panels above colourful graffiti-covered shopfronts, including Vinyl Revival and Hilton Aqua Emporium. The upper floors have many windows, and a small statue stands on the roof’s far right corner.

Former 1960/70’s office building in the heart of the Northern Quarter, if I may permit myself to slip into estate agentese.

Manchester Technology Centre, 2025

Aerial view of a modern white building with large windows, rooftop equipment, and adjacent brown structure. The foreground features a landscaped garden with trees, bushes, curved pathways, and benches. Tall glass office buildings rise in the background.

Low-angle view of a modern, white façade building with large rectangular windows and vertical columns. Reflections of nearby buildings are visible in the glass. The structure has a geometric and minimalist architectural style.

Pariser Building, Manchester, 2025

A multi-storey building with a green roof, red brick and glass facade stands behind a smaller, dark brick building. Trees and shrubs grow nearby along a paved path under a grey sky.

Manchester Arndale car fortress, 2025

View looking up at intersecting concrete and metal structures of a car park against a cloudy sky. The architecture features curved and angled lines, creating a geometric pattern. Vertical and horizontal elements add depth and modern, industrial character.

A beige multi-storey car park with horizontal metal railings on each level, dark and light window panels, and glass shopfronts on the ground floor. The sky is overcast, and the building appears vacant and functional.

A circular concrete car park is shown from a low angle, looking up towards the open sky. Multiple levels feature metal railings and fluorescent lights, creating a pattern of repeating geometric shapes and lines.

View looking upward from the centre of a circular, multi-level concrete car park. Spiral ramps and metal railings encircle an open skylight, revealing a cloudy sky above. Vertical support columns and geometric lines dominate the architectural structure.

Most (normal) people would have their betrothed as their iPhone wallpaper, or perhaps a beloved pet, but no, not me – I have the Manchester Arndale ramp on my lock screen 🥰