It is one of those obvious observations that just like nature abhors a vacuum, property developers and city centre car parks tend to come together usually to the benefit of the developer.
So, like many people I have watched that plot on the corner of Church Street and Tib Street with interest, less for the car park which occupies the space and more for the imaginative way someone chose to retain a bit of the former building and then attach a fun piece of sculpture on top.
The sculpture, known as the Big Horn was designed by David Kemp and dates from 1999.
And I won’t be the only one who thought such a thing was in keeping with the character of the Northern Quarter, which over the last quarter of a century has reinvented itself from a slightly run down area waiting for something to happen into a quirky and interesting place.
But as Andy’s two pictures show, fun and silliness will give way to new shinny developments, and what was a cark park is now a very big new building.
That application was dated from 2017 and given that I didn’t know of the plans to save it and relocate it I have never gone looking for it, but I will now.
Although I suspect Andy will include it as one of his next projects.
Leaving me just to throw in that the car park site in 1911 was listed as, “Thomas Waterhouse & Co, merchants”, and “Harrison & Co carpet factors”
Location; Manchester
Pictures; Church Street, 2018, and 2021, from the collection of Andy Robertson
*118552/FO/2017 | Erection of former Tib Street Car Park ' Big Horn' sculpture at 1st and 2nd floor level at junction of Tib Street and Short Street. | Afflecks Palace 52 Church Street Manchester M4 1PW, Manchester City Council Planning Portal, https://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=P0YHUGBCIM300
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