Geograph - photograph every grid square

IWM North, which opened in July 2002, is one of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum; the first to be located in the north of England. The museum explores the impact of modern conflicts on people and society. The museum site overlooks the Manchester Ship Canal and the former Manchester Docks in Trafford Park, an area that was a key industrial centre during the Second World War and consequently was heavily bombed during the Manchester Blitz in 1940.

The museum building was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. Its striking design provokes mixed reactions; it has been recognised with awards or prize nominations for its architecture but has also been criticised for poor energy efficiency. The concept for the design, not to everyone’s taste is “that of a globe shattered into fragments and then reassembled on that site as an iconic emblem of conflict. The building is the interlocking of three shards representing earth, air, and water”.

The museum features a permanent exhibition of chronological and thematic displays, supported by hourly audiovisual presentations which are projected throughout the gallery space. The museum also hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions.

Both the exterior (particularly from the waterside) and interior of the building provide a stimulating experience for visitors. As part of a national museum, Imperial War Museum North is financed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and by self-generated income and, currently, admission is free.
Link - IWM North official website.