| Rylands Building | |
|---|---|
 The Rylands Building fromPiccadilly Gardens | |
 Interactive map of Rylands Building | |
| General information | |
| Type | Warehouse (1932–1957) Department store (1957–2021) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 109–127Market Street, M60 1TA,Manchester, Greater Manchester, England |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 10 |
| Floor area | 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m2)[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Fairhursts (Harry S. & P. G. Fairhurst) |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Rylands Building (Debenhams) |
| Designated | 5 June 1994 |
| Reference no. | 1219831 |
TheRylands Building is aGrade II listed building and former department store onMarket Street inManchester, England.[2] It is situated in the Smithfield conservation area, which was known for its markets and textile warehouses,[3] close to the Piccadilly area ofManchester city centre.
The building was originally built as awarehouse by J. Gerrard & Sons of Swinton for the Rylands textile company (Rylands & Sons Ltd) which was founded by the entrepreneurJohn Rylands. That firm had occupied warehouses in High Street ever since 1822; its west-facing side is on High Street.[4] The building was designed by the eminent Manchester architects, Fairhursts (Harry S. & P. G. Fairhurst), in anArt Deco style. It is clad inPortland stone and features a decorative corner tower and eclectic 'zig zag' windowlintels. The work was completed in 1932.[5]
Following a fire in 1957 which destroyed the premises of Paulden's Department Store inAll Saints, the company acquired the Rylands warehouse building and converted it to a store. (However at that time the topmost floor remained in the possession of Rylands & Sons Ltd., which was sometime later acquired byGreat Universal Stores.) This was then a direct rival to theLewis's store, on the opposite side of Market Street. In 1973Debenhams, the owner of Paulden's, rebranded the store in their name. It remained Debenhams until its closure in 2021, outlasting other Manchester department stores including Lewis's,Affleck & Brown andC&A.[6]
In 2023 the developer AM Alpha published plans to redevelop the Rylands Building to provide office, retail, and leisure spaces, as well as a four storey roof-top extension. The plans by Jeffrey Bell Architects were approved byManchester City Council in May 2021[7] and construction is expected to be completed in 2025.[1]
The Rylands Building can be seen in the background ofL. S. Lowry's 1954 painting,Piccadilly Gardens.[8][9]
53°28′56″N2°14′19″W / 53.4823°N 2.2386°W /53.4823; -2.2386
