City's 'historic gem' library in line for £6.4m revamp

A Manchester library described as an "architectural gem" has been awarded a restoration grant of £6.4m which will see it open up all three floors for the first time in a century.

The Grade II* listed Portico Library in the city centre dates back to 1806.

The cash from the National Lottery Heritage Fund will help with urgent repairs, create new spaces and a bookshop featuring Northern writers and publishers as well as a kitchen where people can explore Manchester's food culture.

Dr Thom Keep, the library's chief executive and librarian, said it was a "landmark moment" in Portico's history and the changes would give people greater access to its 25,000 books and archive material.

Keep told BBC Radio Manchester the money was a major milestone in the £12m Portico Reunited campaign to "reunite this extraordinary building and make room for people to discover, learn and create together".

The architectural plans will provide people step free access to the building making it easier for people to enter and move around the library.

Currently, the stairs limit access and the library only occupies the first floor.

Keep believes there will be a huge rise in visitors, which currently top about 30,000 a year.

He said: "We're expecting that once we reopen 95,000 people will come and visit the space per year."

Helen Featherstone, from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said the Portico was an "architectural gem" and it was thrilled to be supporting this "exciting next chapter.

"It will cement the Portico as a must-visit destination in Manchester's cultural offer and preserve its nationally significant collection that will continue to inspire generations to come," she said.

Established as a subscription library and newsroom before Manchester had a free public library, it offered its members books, newspapers and periodicals for learning, pleasure, and debate.

Membership reflected the inequalities of the period; today, its collection offers an extraordinary record of the ideas that shaped the city and the nation.

The building is expected to close for construction in late spring 2028 and open in early March 2030.

During construction, it said its work will continue through Porti-Go! which will bring collections and creative activities into temporary spaces, community settings and online.

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