Manchester’s historic Jewish Museum has reopened with a brand new £6 million extension that has been almost a decade in planning.
The museum, located in Cheetham Hill aims to take visitors on a journey through the city’s rich and diverse Jewish history. It tells the stories of the Jewish people and communities of Manchester; their journeys, the communities they formed, and the diverse identities they represent.
With the goal to transform the site into a vibrant hub capable of drawing in visitors from all backgrounds – and with financial support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund – the museum joined forces with architecture firm Citizens Design Bureau to craft a venue like no other in the city.
The extension has doubled the size of the museum, enabling the addition of a new gallery space, vegetarian kosher-style café, shop and collection store.
As the venue’s size has increased so too has its accessibility, with lift access and hearing induction loops now in situ throughout the site. This ensures that all visitors can explore both the shiny new visitor facilities and the existing building, which are now linked by an atrium.
The result, according to Max Dunbar, Manchester Jewish Museum CEO, is a “contemporary, thoughtful, welcoming new building which fuses the old with the new and which complements and integrates so well into our local area”.
“A contemporary, thoughtful, welcoming new building which fuses the old with the new and which complements and integrates so well into our local area”.
Max Dunbar, Manchester Jewish Museum CEO
Vebro Polymers’ epoxy casting resin, vebro EP Cast has been expertly installed by Leevan Flooring in order to seal and protect a floor graphic laid in the main atrium of the museum. The graphic features a giant map documenting historic Jewish landmarks that were once located across the city of Manchester, home to the UK’s second largest Jewish community.
vebro EP Cast is a premium quality, solvent-free clear epoxy resin coating designed specifically to produce a super-smooth, hard-wearing, high-gloss surface for decorative applications.
The product can be applied by suitable hand squeegee, metal spatula / steel float and floor paint rollers and can be installed between 2.0 – 4.0 mm.
This resin material incorporates special UV stabilising additives – not found in more general-purpose clear epoxy systems – which means vebro EP Cast cures with a near-perfect smooth, glossy surface when applied to suitable substrates which enhances and protects the look of the decorative inclusions under the resin.
The client was delighted with the resulting finish and professional installation by the Leevan Flooring team.
“This redevelopment has been a long labour of love spanning almost a decade”, adds Dunbar, “we are so proud of our results and we cannot wait for everyone to come through our doors!”
As of Friday 2 July, Manchester Jewish Museum will open to the public seven days a week between 10am and 5pm.
The museum was recently featured on ITV News, see a link below to watch a short piece on the opening –
