From statue-strewn traditional gardens, to an open-air movie theatre or a showcase for homegrown artists – Your ideas to restore pride in Piccadilly Gardens have been coming in thick and fast.
The M.E.N asked readers for their views on how the city centre site should be transformed after it emerged as Manchester’s most loathed attraction on Tripadvisor.
And we received more than 100 responses.
Dubbed the Berlin Wall by critics, the travel ratings website described the area as ‘dirty’, ‘depressing’ and a ‘big slab of ‘concrete’.
‘Dirty’ and ‘depressing’: Piccadilly Gardens is Manchester’s worst attraction
Town hall bosses say they are looking into sprucing up the landmark – and they may want to review the great ideas sent into our website.
They include using the wall as a ‘canvas for local artists’, a greater police presence, more seating, an outdoor movie theatre and museums.
Sarah Hallan, 35, from Collyhurst, said it should be used as a ‘gateway’ to advertise the rest of the city centre. She also suggested outdoor movie nights.
The mum of three said: “It should be used to get people into Manchester. There should be a 24-hour big screen telling people about where they can shop, what events are on and when sales are on.
“There should be movie nights with benches carved out of wood that are made to look like cars.
“There should be lots of landscaping and trees. It’s about gripping people and getting them to stay in the city centre. That will bring in business and money.
She added: “There should be an area and activities for children too.”
Emma Minott, 28, from Stretford, said: “Basically everything needs doing – it needs a load of flowers. When you visit it should feel like there’s something amazing there. It should be restored to how it used to be. They should have really good gardens and there should be more benches near the coffee shops in a circle to bring people together.”
The gardens were revamped in 2002 by internationally-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. He won a council competition to redesign the area after the 1996 IRA bomb destroyed large parts of the city centre
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