Manchester’s historic town hall refurbishment

The roofline of Manchester city centre’s historic town hall will be visible again for the first time in more than three years as the multi-million pound restoration project reaches a key milestone. A huge crane with a lifting capacity of 300 tonnes has now been moved into position and the building’s temporary roof will be lifted off in a staged operation. The work, which could start as soon as Wednesday, should expose the town hall’s roof to the naked eye. An enormous temporary covering has kept the Grade I-listed building watertight while extensive work has taken place to its Victorian roof as part of the £430m restoration. It’s been concealed beneath the canopy since spring 2022.