I've lived in Manchester now for over five years and finally today I paid a visit to the Imperial War Museum North.
The 'Air Shard' of the Imperial War Museum North by
ed_o_brain, on Flickr
Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the Imperial War Museum North's building features three 'shards' which the Libeskind had envisioned as parts of an 'imagined globe' shattered by conflict.
The three shards from which the museum is assembled represent Air, Earth and Water, three facets of warfare.
The air shard stands 55m high.
T-55 Tank by
ed_o_brain, on Flickr
This ex-Iraqi T-55 Tank sits outside the Museum.
Light levels inside the museum were very low and really, photography wasn't allowed. So with limited photo opportunities I grabbed very few shots from inside. However, I've an obsession with these and so had to take this:
Trabant Estate by
ed_o_brain, on Flickr
A symbol of communist East German, the Trabant remained in production for 30 years.
T-34 Tank by
ed_o_brain, on Flickr
A Soviet T-34/85 Tank exhibit at the Imperial War Museum North observed by a young gent.
The T-34 was a marvel in tank design with a good balance of armour, fire power, pace and ability.
Salford Quays High Vantage Point I by
ed_o_brain, on Flickr
View North-West from the 'Air Shard' of the Imperial War Museum North. That;s the Manchester Ship Canal disappearing off into the distance. Foreground left is Granada TV's new Media City Studio under construction and to the right just disappearing out of shot are the BBC studios. In the distance on the horizon is Winter Hill.
Salford Quays High Vantage Point II by
ed_o_brain, on Flickr
The view north-east from the 'Air Shard' of the Imperial War Museum East. To the right of the shot is the Salford Quay's 'Lift' Bridge which was completed in 2000 spanning the Manchester Ship Canal.
Just visible in the background is the Beetham Tower which is designed by architect Ian Simpson.
And finally a shot in the vicinity of but unrelated to the museum..
Salford Quays Millennium Footbridge by
ed_o_brain, on Flickr
This 95 meter long bridge spans the Manchester Ship Canal at Salford Quays. The "lift" bridge was designed by Carlos Fernandez Casado.