A pioneering new app designed to guide users through Manchester’s twentieth-century architectural marvels is set to launch tomorrow, thanks to the Modernist Society.
The Modernist Society aims to broaden its audience with the introduction of the Modernist App, supported by funding from the GMCA Foundational Economy Innovation Fund. This free app offers five curated and themed tours of Manchester City Centre, each designed to be completed within ninety minutes. More tours are planned for the next 12 months in Salford, Stockport, and Trafford, with future expansions envisioned for other cities in the UK and abroad.
The purpose of the app is to encourage users to explore their cities and appreciate the architectural designs from the past century. The tours, accompanied by written, audio, and video commentary from Jack Hale and Eddy Rhead, the society’s founders, provide a comprehensive understanding of Manchester’s modernist structures.
Modernist architecture struggled to gain traction in the UK, particularly outside of London, as explained in the ‘The Early Years’ tour. This tour highlights significant early modernist buildings designed for industrial use. Key sites include a modest textile workshop on Richmond Street and the large textile headquarters of Tootal Broadhurst Lee. Meanwhile, the ‘Manchester Top Ten’ tour showcases the most important twentieth-century buildings in the city centre, such as the Midland Bank by Edwin Lutyens, the Daily Express Building by Owen Williams, and Kendals Department Store by J.S Beaumont & Sons.
Other tours include the ‘Oxford Road Corridor,’ which explores the former UMIST campus and lesser-known stops like the Catholic Chaplaincy at Avila House, notable for its distinctive zigzag roof and fish-shaped gutter spouts. Eddy Rhead commented on the app’s development, noting, “We run a lot of walking tours at the Modernist Society, and they’re always really popular but obviously we’re limited on numbers so developing an app seemed a natural extension of what we are doing already. If you’re from Manchester or live here, you will recognise a lot of the buildings on the tour, but you won’t necessarily know the stories behind them.”
The app is designed and built in collaboration with Manchester and Leeds-based digital marketing agency, focusing on scalability and ease of use. It aims to offer a clean and uncluttered user experience, reflecting the ethos of the Modernist Society. Chris Bennett, the head of strategy, mentioned that the app’s expandable nature allows it to include new cities and destinations over time. Beth Sharratt, GMCA’s Local Industrial Strategy Policy and Programmes Lead, expressed hope that other cities would follow Manchester’s example and develop their modernist city tours.
The Modernist App represents a forward-thinking approach to exploring and appreciating modernist architecture. By offering accessible tours and detailed information, it aims to enhance public understanding and appreciation of these architectural masterpieces.