Reuniting Manchester’s Portico Library in a once-in-a-generation project

16/09/2026

The outside of the 19th-century building with a large stone portico supported by columns

Visitors will be able to better explore the ideas that shaped Manchester and the nation through improved access to the historic book collection. Credit: Andrew Brooks.

With a funding boost of £6.4million, Portico Reunited will bring the Grade II* listed building back together for first time in a century.

The project will create new spaces for learning and discovery that are open to everyone. The ground floor and basement will be brought back into use by the library, and step-free access will be introduced throughout.

Exhibitions and creative activities will draw upon the collection of 25,000 books and archive materials, connecting it with people’s lives today. Visitors will be able to explore a new bookshop dedicated to Northern writers and publishers and enjoy Manchester's food culture in the Portico Kitchen. Entry to the library will remain free.

Lucy Powell, Secretary of State for Education and MP for Manchester Central, said: “This support represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reunite one of our city’s great historic buildings, open it fully to everyone and secure its remarkable collections for the future.”

An artist's impression of how the inside of the library could look, showing tables for study and learning and space for group activities — The proposed events and cafe space. Credit: Purcell architecture.

Founded in 1806, the Portico is a remarkable survivor of industrial Manchester. From novels and poetry to science, travel, history and maps, the shelves preserve the reading lives of generations of Portico members and Manchester’s changing relationship with the wider world.

The project will protect its vast collection and create new opportunities to explore it through school visits, creative workshops, research and exhibitions.

Dr Thom Keep, Librarian and CEO of the Portico Library, said: “We have listened to thousands of people about what the Portico could become, and their ideas and experiences have helped shape these plans.

“Our ambition is a library that belongs to the whole city: a place to discover remarkable collections, question the stories we have inherited, and create new possibilities together.”

Alongside urgent repairs and restoration of the historic interiors and glazed dome, the plans include a lift, a Changing Places toilet and a quiet room.

Low carbon heating and environmental improvements will set the building on a path towards a net zero carbon future, helping address the impact of a changing climate on its historic fabric and delicate collections.

The award is a major milestone for the Portico Reunited campaign. It continues to fundraise approximately £12m through the support of individuals, businesses and charities to secure the remaining match funding for the project.