Manchester Central Convention Complex (commonly known as Manchester Central or GMEX (Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre)) is an exhibition and conference centre converted from the former Manchester Central railway station in Manchester, England. The building has a distinctive arched roof with a span of 64 metres (210 ft) – the second-largest railway station roof span in the United Kingdom,[7] and was granted Grade II* listed building status in 1963.
After 89 years as a railway terminus, it closed to passengers in May 1969. It was renovated as an exhibition centre formerly known as the G-Mex Centre in 1982 and was Manchester's primary music concert venue until the construction of the Manchester Arena. After renovation the venue reverted to its former name Manchester Central in 2007.
An illustrative image of the old Manchester Central railway station, dated 1905.
The complex was originally Manchester Central railway station, one of the city's main railway terminals.[10]
Designed by Sir John Fowler, the station was opened in July 1880 by the Cheshire Lines Committee. The station served as the terminus for Midland Railway express trains to London St Pancras. The station's large wrought-iron single-span arched roof, spanning 210 feet (64 m), 550 feet (168 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) high – was a noted piece of railway engineering and is the widest unsupported iron arch in Britain after the Barlow train shed at London St Pancras.[11]
At its height, in the 1930s, more than 400 trains passed through the station every day.[12]
The station operated for 89 years, before closing in May 1969.[13]
GMEX Centre
The interior of the derelict station before its renovation in 1982
In 1978, the structure was acquired by Greater Manchester County Council to redevelop as a concert venue. In 1982, construction work was undertaken by Alfred McAlpine.[14] It was the centrepiece of the regeneration plan for the area and wider Castlefield district. The hall covered 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft) and could be partitioned into various sized units for different exhibitions.[15] Initial construction work concentrated on repairing the derelict structure and re-pointing brickwork which took 18 months.[14] The Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre or G-Mex Centre was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1986 after four years of renovation.[16]
In 2001, the Manchester International Convention Centre (MICC) was added, comprising an 804-seat auditorium and breakout rooms and the Great Northern Hall. In 2005, the company running the complex was bought by Manchester City Council. G-Mex was Manchester's primary concert venue from 1986 to 1995. Its position as a concert venue diminished after the opening of the Manchester (then NYNEX) Arena in 1995.[17]
Manchester Central
In January 2007, the venue was renamed Manchester Central, evoking the memory of the former station[18][19] and converted into an exhibition and conference centre. The building was renovated at a cost of £30 million in 2008 by Manchester-based architects, Stephenson Bell. The first phase to create a foyer took from February to November 2008.[20]
The second phase, completed towards the end of 2009, included an extended foyer to the Grade II listed Central Hall. The old smoked-glass structure was demolished and replaced by a flat-roofed, clear-glazed structure exposing more of the original architecture.[11] The final phase, completed in September 2010, focused on the rear of the building. New event spaces were built and rooms refurbished to increase the venue's range and size of meeting and banqueting spaces.[21]
In 2009 and 2010, it played host to the Manchester audition stages of the ITV programme The X Factor. In December 2012, it hosted the finals of series 9 of The X Factor.[27]
The venue was also the filming location of Ninja Warrior UK between 2015 and 2019.[30]
The venue was selected to host the final of the 2021 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup,[31] which saw England beat France 28–24 to lift their second world cup title equalling the record set by the runners-up.[32]
On 27 March 2020, the UK government announced that the building would be converted into an emergency hospital, part of a network of NHS Nightingale Hospitals similar to the NHS Nightingale Hospital London that was already under construction, intended to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and with 1,000 beds. It opened on 17 April 2020,[9] and was closed in March 2021.[34]
