Cultural Masterplanning – How Manchester changed the way we make cities

A major new exhibition at Manchester Central Library explores the process of Cultural Masterplanning and how creative interventions in urban spaces undergoing redevelopment can reconnect fragmented places with their past and allow us to look to a dynamic shared future. These playful interactions change how transformation feels and help us involved and  that change is happening with us, not to us.

Showcased across the Exhibition Hall and Wolfson Reading Room at Central Library from April to September 2026 are glimpses of buried histories of lives and industry which sparked curiosity and conversation about places in transition such as Ancoats, Central Library itself and Mayfield Depot, as well as examples from Glasgow and London.

Citizen Manchester takes a deep dive into the extraordinary transformation of Central Library and Town Hall Extension, Manchester’s historic twin treasures whose restoration began in 2014 and continues to lead the city’s rebirth as a global icon blending heritage and innovation. Citizen Manchester records and celebrates the creation of the first ever Modern City. From April to August 2026 Central Library’s Exhibition Hall and First Floor corridors of Central Library will feature photographs and artefacts from the transformation, allowing viewers a close-up look at the rich patina and textures captured within the walls of these beloved spaces.

The Lost World of Mayfield has returned to the First Floor Reading Room of Central Library, showcasing archival treasures from Mayfield, the area now transformed by a thriving green space including a brand-new public park and the transformed Mayfield Depot. This area behind Manchester’s Piccadilly Station was formerly a wasteland whose industrial heritage was largely forgotten so much that few locals knew its original name.  Currently on show are artefacts and images from the Mayfield Pattern Book, Graham’s Dye Recipe Book and the Mayfield Grit Walk story cards which uncover the history of Thomas Hoyle and Sons Calico Printing Works and the dwellings and bathhouse which served the residents and workers following its demise.

The Cultural Masterplanning exhibition has been curated by Sam Hallas and produced by Dan Dubowitz of FLEX Manchester School of Architecture in collaboration with Manchester City Council, Archives+, and Manchester Art Gallery. It can be viewed in the Exhibition Hall at Central Library until the end of June 2026 and continues on the First Floor and Reading Room with Citizen Manchester, Grit Walks and the Lost World of Mayfield on display until the end of September 2026.

Free – just drop in

Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online