King Street, Manchester
King Street is one of the most important thoroughfares of the city of Manchester, England. Once the centre of the north-west banking industry it is now predominantly an affluent shopping area.
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[edit] History
King Street began in the 18th century at the Spring Gardens end when the Jacobite party in the town created James's Square and to the west of it a fine street. Beyond what is now Cross Street it was much narrower and one 18th century building remains (a former District Bank). Further west beyond Deansgate is King Street West on a different alignment. By the 1970s there was a clear demarcation between the eastern section of mainly financial and office buildings and the narrower section to the west a mostly up market shopping street (later pedestrianised). Subsequently the eastern section had the monumental National Westminster Bank offices built at no. 55 and some years later further changes brought more and more retail outlets of the expensive sort. In 2008 the grand Midland Bank of Edwin Lutyens was vacated by the HSBC Bank.
[edit] Old Town Hall
Manchester's original civic administration was housed in the Police Office in King Street. It was replaced by the first Town Hall, to accommodate the growing local government and its civic assembly rooms. The Town Hall, also located in King Street at the corner of Cross Street, was designed by Francis Goodwin and constructed during 1822–25, much of it by David Bellhouse. The building was designed in the Grecian style and Goodwin was strongly influenced by his patron John Soane. As the size and wealth of the city grew, largely as a result of the textile industry, its administration outstripped the existing facilities and a new building was proposed. The King Street building was subsequently occupied by a lending library and then Lloyds Bank. The facade was removed to Heaton Park in 1912, when the current Lloyds TSB building was erected on the site (No 53 King Street).
[edit] Notable buildings
Many notable buildings survive and are preserved in a conservation area. In King Street there are 11 buildings listed Grade II, two listed Grade II* and one Grade I; in King Street West is one at Grade II and in South King Street nearby three more at Grade II.[1]
- Number 53: Lloyds TSB by Charles Heathcote, (1913)
- Number 74: Northern Rock Building Society by Heathcote and Rawle, (1896)
- Number 76-80: Prudential Assurance Offices by Alfred Waterhouse, (1888)
- Number 81: Manchester Reform Club by Edward Salomons, (1870) Listed Grade II
- Number 82: Former Bank of England Building by C.R. Cockerell, (1845) Listed Grade I
- Number 84–86: Former Manchester and Salford Savings Bank by Richard Lane, (1842)
- Number 88-96: Ship Canal House, headquarters of the Manchester Ship Canal, by Harry S. Fairhurst, (1927)
- Number 98: Atlas Chambers by Fairhurst and Michael Waterhouse, (1929)
- Number 100: Midland Bank (HSBC) by Sir Edwin Lutyens, (1929) No longer occupied by HSBC; listed Grade II*.
[edit] Shopping area
King Street (along with Bridge Street) is considered Manchester's most upmarket shopping area; it includes stores such as Vivienne Westwood, Hermès, Whistles, Flannels, Gant, Karen Millen, Kookai, Emporio Armani, DKNY, Ted Baker, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Timberland, Calvin Klein Jeans, Polo Ralph Lauren, Max Mara, Adolfo Dominguez, Paul Smith, Jaeger, Agent Provocateur, Mulberry, Thomas Pink, Reiss, Crombie amongst others.
Some of these stores are on Bridge Street (to the south of King Street West), but both streets are often referred to as 'King Street' by shoppers.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ City Planning Department (1985) Manchester's Architectural Heritage. Manchester: City Council
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 53°28′51″N 2°14′41″W / 53.480934°N 2.244687°W
