Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre

The 1996 bombing of Manchester destroyed some of the city's finest buildings and left many more structurally compromised. Located just 50 metres from where the bomb was detonated, the Royal Exchange Theatre was damaged in the blast and needed extensive renovations to restore the Grade II listed Victorian building to its previous grandeur. With lottery funding matched by the insurance payout, a project scheme was developed that would deliver the necessary repairs. Already heavily involved in the city centre reconstruction programme, Mace was appointed as construction manager on the Royal Exchange project.

The theatre itself sits within a seven-sided glass and steel structure within the building's Great Hall and is a pure theatre in the round with the stage area surrounded on all sides and above by seating. It was a technically demanding project and with limited construction knowledge, the client and client's project manager relied heavily on Mace to make sure the costs were controlled and the project was successfully delivered. Completion of the complex scheme was achieved in time for a pre-booked opening performance.