MOSI to get creative with recycling for new building
As many astute Mancunians might have noticed, Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry is currently renovating its main building. The new design is costing £7 million, and is going to incorporate as much recycled material as possible, even including recycled banknotes.
The wide use of creative recycling will be incorporated into an interactive trail in the new building to teach visitors about how much rubbish can be turned into something useful. Visitors can expect to pull up part of the new 13 metre-high lift cores to see an explanation of the recycled aggregate and steel used within it, or learn about how part of the arched ‘barrel ceiling’ was created from recycled concrete. Toilets will include recycled tiles, worktops will be created from old yoghurt pots, while banknotes will be re-used to make signs around the site.
The trail is funded by Manchester City Council’s Carbon Innovation Fund as part of its drive to cut carbon emissions and encourage low-carbon lifestyles throughout the city, as set out in Manchester’s climate change action plan ‘Manchester; A Certain Future’. The trail is co-funded by SITA Environmental Trust, which has also supported a new interactive section on waste in the new improved Experiment gallery.
MOSI Learning Manager Iain Morley said: “Recycling is an important part of the ethos of MOSI’s redeveloped building and of the Museum itself. The site was once a railway station and has been re-used as a Museum, so it seems only fitting that recycled materials are part of the new fabric too. People are increasingly aware of recycling of domestic waste but this trail will encourage good practice in recycling of building waste as well. I’m delighted that the Carbon Innovation Fund has supported us in this aim.”
Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for the Environment, said: “MOSI does an excellent job of celebrating our city’s proud industrial past, and so it’s entirely appropriate that the centre should be used to showcase new environmentally friendly technologies, which will play an important role in our future. I’m sure visitors from all over the world will find the information about recycled materials just as inspirational as the museum’s other exhibitions.”
Building companies John Turner and Sons, which are leading the project, and Cidon, which manages all concrete constructions, have been carefully saving materials from the redevelopment to be used elsewhere in the project. Recycled materials have also been brought from elsewhere to be incorporated in the building.
Funding for MOSI’S redevelopment project has been confirmed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which granted £2million, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) which granted £2million, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Garfield Weston, SITA, and a number of other trusts and foundations.
MOSI’s main building will include new galleries, restaurant, learning and conference facilities. The former ramp which dominated the main building has been removed to free up space and access will now be on the outside of the building, via two new lift and staircase towers.
Manchester has a detailed climate change action plan, which can be explored in detail at http://www.manchesterclimate.com
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