The Athenaeum

The Athenaeum in Princess Street, is one of three Manchester Art Gallery buildings. It was built in 1837, originally a club for Manchester Athenaeum, a society for the "advancement and diffusion of knowledge". I'm not sure what that means, but the building became part of the art gallery in 2002.

Sir Charles Barry designed the building in Italian palazzo style, the first such building in the city. The Athenaeum is a grade II listed building.