Manchester Airport Chandeliers set to shine again
Manchester Airport’s iconic chandeliers are to be restored to their former glory and go on display at The World of Glass museum in St Helens and The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
The famous glass chandeliers, which were designed by Royal architect Stefan Buzas and created at the renowned Venini factory in Murano, Italy, were commissioned by Manchester Airport and first hung in the departure hall at Terminal 1.
The four 17 feet long chandeliers, which each weigh two tonnes, were taken down in 2003 to make way for a major redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Manchester Airport and have been kept in storage while the airport searched for a new home.
Now with the help of £50K of Lottery Heritage Funding and grants from the Pilgrim Trust, The Mersey Partnership and the Rainford Trust, one lead glass chandelier has been restored to its original design and is about to be installed at The World of Glass museum and visitor centre.
Manchester Airport’s Jackie Neville who has spearheaded the project, said: “The chandeliers are a much loved part of Manchester Airport’s heritage but they are enormous and very delicate structures that we can no longer fit into our redesigned terminals.
“We’ve been working hard for a number of years to find the perfect place for the chandeliers to be enjoyed by generations of the future and we’re delighted that work is now about to start on installing a chandelier at The World of Glass.
“The plan for the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester is to renovate a second chandelier as part of their Air and Space Hall redevelopment in 2010. It’s great that they are going to be back on show and we’re all looking forward to seeing them shone once again.”
Ron Helsby, Executive Director of The World of Glass, said: “This is a great acquisition for The World of Glass and it is great to work with our partners in restoring this iconic piece of crystal which will go on display to everyone in our foyer.”
The chandeliers have been restored by specialist David Malik and Sons in London and installation began this week (w/e Friday 31 October).
Published on: 30/10/2008 09:29:16
