Portico Reunited - Help write Manchester’s next chapter

The Portico Library, a much-loved cultural landmark in the heart of Manchester, was established in 1806 as a ground-breaking newsroom and library. Today, it is embarking on Portico Reunited – an £11 million capital project that will transform and future-proof this Grade II* listed building while preserving its remarkable 25,000-volume collection and archives.

With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Library is working with heritage specialists, architects, and a wide range of community partners to develop and test plans for the building’s transformation. Together, we are exploring how the Portico’s ground floor and basement can be opened up to create new exhibition and performance spaces, a creative Portico Kitchen celebrating Manchester’s food culture, a Northern Bookshop showcasing writers and publishers from across the region, and flexible spaces for learning, events, and collaboration.

The Reading Room and upper floors will be conserved and enhanced, offering improved access to the Library’s unique collection of historic books, manuscripts, and archives, while essential works – including a new step-free entrance and lift – will make the entire building accessible for the first time in its history.

This once-in-a-lifetime project will reunite all three floors of the Portico for the first time in over a century through a lift, creating the UK’s most sustainable historic library – a place for heritage, literature, creativity, and community.

We need your help. The Portico is launching a fundraising campaign to make these ambitious plans a reality. Every donation brings us closer to securing the Library’s future for generations to come. Please follow the “Support the Project” button below to get involved.

Here is a downloadable pdf of our Reunited Brochure, with more information about the project.