Kendals Manchester | Art Print

Description

Kendals Manchester Art Print. The Kendals building on Deansgate is a masterpiece of Manchester’s architectural history. This purpose-built Art Deco landmark, is reimagined here through the lens of Subtractionism.

This minimalist illustration strips away the city’s clutter to celebrate the building’s clean lines and geometric elegance. Whether you’re a fan of Manchester’s heritage or looking for a sophisticated piece of modern wall art, this print captures the soul of the city’s most famous department store.

The Kendals Building (now home to House of Fraser) is one of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks, standing as a monument to the city’s commercial ambition and its brief, brilliant love affair with Art Deco design.

The “Mancunian Harrods.”
1. From Drapery to Luxury: The Watts Origins
The story began in 1796 when John Watts opened a small drapery business on Deansgate. Over the next few decades, it evolved into “The Bazaar,” a sprawling retail space. In 1835, three employees—Thomas Kendal, James Milne, and Adam Faulkner—bought the business from the Watts family. By the mid-Victorian era, “Kendal, Milne & Co.” had become the premier destination for Manchester’s elite, offering everything from high fashion to cabinet making and even funeral services.

2. The Art Deco Masterpiece (1939)
The building featured in my print is the “New Building” on the west side of Deansgate. Completed in 1939, it was designed by J.S. Beaumont (with input from Harrods’ in-house architect, Louis David Blanc).

• Architectural Style: It is a prime example of Streamline Moderne and Art Deco. Its most striking feature is the use of Portland limestone contrasted with vertical, slender windows made of greenish glass that run the full height of the building.

•Pevsner’s Praise: Even the famous architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner—rarely easily impressed—noted that the building was “unlike anything else in Manchester.”

3. The “Harrods of the North”
In 1919, the store was purchased by Harrods. For a short period in the 1920s, the name was actually changed to “Harrods.” However, the people of Manchester were so fiercely loyal to the local brand that they protested the change.Customer backlash was so strong that the company relented and reverted the name back to Kendal Milne. Note: Even today, though the signage says “House of Fraser,” most locals still refers to it simply as “Kendals.”

4. The Secret Subway
Until the 1980s, Kendals occupied two large buildings on opposite sides of Deansgate (the eastern building is now home to Waterstones). To save wealthy shoppers from the rain and traffic, a subterranean tunnel was built beneath Deansgate, allowing customers to move seamlessly between the fashion and furniture departments. While now closed to the public, the tunnel remains a legendary piece of Manchester’s “hidden” city.

5. A New Chapter
In recent years, plans have been approved to transform the upper floors of this Grade II listed building into high-end office spaces (“Kendals Quarter”), ensuring that the Portland stone façade and Art Deco heritage remain a permanent fixture of the Manchester skyline for another century.