Imperial War Museum North facts for kids
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| Established | 5 July 2002 |
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| Location | The Quays Trafford Wharf Road Trafford Park Greater Manchester England |
| Type | War museum |
| Visitors | 244,564 (2019) |
| Public transit access | Imperial War Museum  |
| Imperial War Museums | |
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The Imperial War Museum North (often called IWM North) is a special museum in Greater Manchester, England. It is one of five museums that are part of the Imperial War Museum family. This museum helps us understand how modern wars and conflicts have affected people and society.
It was the first Imperial War Museum to open in the north of England. The museum is located by the Manchester Ship Canal in Trafford Park. This area was very important during the Second World War because many factories were there. Because of this, it was heavily bombed during the Manchester Blitz in 1940. Today, other cultural places like the Lowry and MediaCityUK are nearby.
The museum building was designed by a famous architect named Daniel Libeskind. It opened in July 2002 and was very popular, with 470,000 visitors in its first year. The building itself is famous for its unique design, which is called Deconstructivist architecture. Inside, the museum has a main exhibition that tells the story of conflicts over time. It also shows amazing hourly video presentations. The museum also has special temporary exhibitions. It runs a successful volunteer program, helping local people get involved. The museum is funded by the government and its own income, and entry is free for everyone.
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Planning the Museum's Home
In the 1990s, the Imperial War Museum wanted to open a new branch in the north of England. Many towns offered places for the museum. One idea was to build it in Hartlepool, with a design by Sir Norman Foster. However, this plan didn't work out due to funding issues.
In January 1999, the government announced that the new museum would be built in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Trafford Park was chosen because it played a big role in the Second World War. Factories there made important things like Avro Lancaster bombers and Rolls-Royce Merlin engines for planes. By 1945, 75,000 people worked in the area. Because it was so important, Trafford Park was heavily bombed, especially during the Manchester Blitz in December 1940.
The Museum's Unique Design
A design competition was held in 1997 for the new museum. The winning design came from Daniel Libeskind, an architect from Berlin. Libeskind's family had suffered during the Second World War, and many of his relatives died in The Holocaust. This was his first building in the United Kingdom.
Libeskind wanted to create a building that would "emotionally move the soul of the visitor." He imagined the museum as "three interlocking shards." These shards look like pieces of a broken globe, shattered by conflict. Each shard represents a different element: air, earth, and water.
- The air shard is 55 meters (180 feet) tall. It forms the museum's entrance and used to have a viewing balcony. This balcony offered views of the Manchester Ship Canal and the city skyline. Its open design makes visitors feel exposed, like the dangers of war.
- The earth shard holds the main exhibition spaces.
- The water shard contains a cafe with views of the canal.
The museum was built for £28.5 million. This money came from different groups, including the European Union, English Partnerships, and Trafford Council. A local company, Peel Holdings, gave a large sum of £12.5 million. This was one of the biggest donations ever to a UK cultural project from a private company.
Because of budget changes, some plans were changed. For example, metal was used instead of concrete for the shards. However, Libeskind's main idea of the "shattered globe" stayed the same. Construction began in January 2000, and the museum opened on July 5, 2002. This was just before the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester.
Exploring the Exhibitions
The main exhibitions are on the first floor inside the earth shard. They include a timeline of conflicts around the edge of the gallery. There are also six themed displays in special "silos" within the space. The floor of the gallery is curved, like the Earth's surface.
In this large hall, you can see many big objects. These include a Russian T-34 tank, a United States Marine Corps Harrier jet, and a 13-pounder field gun. This gun fired the British Army's first shot of the First World War. Around the gallery, there are "timestacks" that show smaller objects. Some of these can even be touched by visitors. A piece of twisted steel from the World Trade Center in New York is also on display.
- Objects in the IWM north collection
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AV-8II Harrier
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A Soviet T-34 tank
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Berlin Wall searchlight
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Mk XVII contact sea mine
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QF 13-pounder field gun
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Rolls Royce Olympus 101 jet engine
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WE 177 British nuclear bomb
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Wreckage from the September 11 attacks on New York's World Trade Center
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The museum also shows art created by official war artists. These artists were asked to draw or paint what Britain was like during the world wars. Some famous artworks include Building Flying-Boats by Flora Lion and Going to Work by L. S. Lowry.
- War artists displayed at IWM north
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The 'L' Press. Forging the Jacket of an 18-inch Gun by Anna Airy (1918)
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Building Flying-Boats by Flora Lion (1919)
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Going to Work by L. S. Lowry (1943)
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The Big Picture and Temporary Displays
The museum uses the walls of the gallery as giant screens. Hourly audiovisual shows called the "Big Picture" are projected onto them. These shows explore different themes about modern conflict. They use up to 1,500 images from the Imperial War Museum's huge photo collection. The images are combined with personal stories from the museum's sound archive.
There is also a separate gallery for temporary exhibitions. These have included art shows from the museum's collection. They have featured art from the First and Second World Wars, and works by female war artists. A passageway called the WaterWay links the earth and water shards. It is used for smaller art or photo exhibitions.
Outside the museum, you can see an ex-Iraqi Army T-55 tank. This tank was captured by the British Army during the Iraq War in 2003. Before that, an Iraqi ZSU-23-4 Shilka anti-aircraft gun was displayed there.
Volunteer Program
The Imperial War Museum North has a volunteer program that started when it opened in 2002. This program helps local people, especially those who might be facing difficulties. Volunteers learn about cultural heritage and gain new skills. They also get to work in the museum, helping visitors.
In 2007, the museum launched the "in Touch" volunteer program with Manchester Museum. This program helps people develop skills and confidence. It also supports individuals who are looking for jobs. The government has praised this program as a great example of community involvement.
Images for kids
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Ex-Iraqi Army T-55 tank on display outside the museum.
See also
In Spanish: Imperial War Museum North para niños
