The Bridgewater Hall

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 28 Jul 2011

Patrons arriving for an evening with the Hallé. The Bridgewater Hall is Manchester's international concert venue. Opened in 1996, it replaced the much loved Free Trade Hall as home of the city’s famous Hallé orchestra. Despite holding great public affection, the 1850s-built Free Trade Hall could not provide the rising standards of acoustic excellence demanded by performers and audiences during the latter part of the twentieth century. The Bridgewater Hall is unusual in that it neither concrete nor steel-framed. Instead, it is mostly formed from solid, reinforced concrete, moulded and cast like a vast sculpture, giving it the acoustic ideal of enormous density and mass. Additionally, the entire structure floats free of the ground on almost three hundred, earthquake-proof isolation bearings or giant springs, so there is no rigid connection between the 22,500 ton building and its foundations. This ensures the Hall’s carefully designed acoustic is protected from all outside noise and vibration. In addition to the Hallé, the Hall is also home to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Manchester Camerata. http://www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/ Official web site

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