Piccadilly
Gardens "Pavilion"
I discovered this image
of Piccadilly Gardens and I was intrigued by the
building. I have failed to find any information
about this building in the references I have
consulted. It occupied the Parker Street side of
the park.
I have been able to
discover its origin. The gardens were created
after the Royal Infirmary and Mental Asylum, that
occupied the site, were demolished in 1908. This
building is a remnant of the former Manchester Royal
Infirmary. The old hospital had a grand entrance
facing Piccadilly and two wings that ran back from
it. This building sat between the wings at the
Parker Street end, as indicate by the arrow on the image
below.
If you click on the link
below you will see a model of the old infirmary. It is
the small building, in the bottom right-hand corner,
with a dome on top.
Infirmary
model
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Further evidence of its
origin can be seen by clicking on the link below.
It will take you to a photograph of the building sitting
on a desolate site after the hospital was demolished and
before the garden was created. The photograph is
dated 1910.
Infirmary
demolition site
Here is a closer view. You can see the "adrift" statue by John Cassidy in the centre of the gardens.
If you click on the
link below you can see it again after the garden has
been created. That photograph is dated 1922.
Piccadilly
Gardens 1922Below is an image in
which you can just see the building, or a fragment of
it, in the bottom right hand corner.
Here is a closer view. You can see the "adrift" statue by John Cassidy in the centre of the gardens.
So, that explains
how the building came to be in Piccadilly Gardens,
but why was it saved when all the other buildings
were demolished and how was it used? That
remains a mystery.