The Athenaeum

The Athenaeum is a cultural club, now serving as an annex to the City Art Gallery, built in 1837 by Sir Charles Barry. It was damaged by fire in 1874 and subsequently remodeled internally, with an attic added. The building is constructed of sandstone ashlar and features a slate roof. It has a rectangular plan with a rear extension and is designed in the Italian palazzo style.

The structure consists of two storeys and a basement, plus the added attic, and has a symmetrical nine-window facade. The basement is treated as a plinth, with raised rusticated quoins, sill-bands, a string-course, and a lettered frieze. A prominent mutuled cornice and a high balustraded parapet with four tall chimneys complete the facade.

The entrance is accessed by a flight of stone steps and features a shallow rectangular porch supported by Roman Doric columns, with a triglyph frieze, moulded cornice, and a balustraded parapet. The entrance has a round-headed arch leading to a recessed porch with a coffered barrel-vaulted ceiling.

Both floors are adorned with tall two-light casement windows that have moulded architraves. The ground floor windows feature cornices and apron sills, while the first-floor windows are enhanced with balustrades and floating pediments. The frieze is inscribed with "INSTUTVTED MDCCCXXXV ATHENAEUM ERECTED MDCCCXXXVIII". The added slated mansard attic roof is topped with wrought-iron cresting.

The five-bay side walls match the main style and also include lettered friezes, with the right side stating: "FOR THE ADVANCEMENT AND DIFFVSION OF KNOWLEDGE". The Athenaeum is noted as a precursor of the Italian palazzo style in Manchester architecture.