Ancoats was the world's first
urban industrial district and for the best part of two centuries. The
bridge between the buildings allowed workers to move through the
complex without having to exit the premises. By April 1998 the mills
were silent and empty, the fabric of the buildings in a precarious
state. In the windows there are wooden inserts with air vents to
protect the building pending future renovation, but will it ever happen?
In May 2005 the buildings are covered in scaffolding. A massive
restoration and reconstruction project is well advanced. To
facilitate the work, the building site has been extended to cover the
street. The bridge has been dismantled leaving only the framework.
When completed these apartment buildings will be separate so there will
be no need for a bridge. Should it be discarded or put back as a
reminder of the original use of the buidlings?
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