Wythenshawe Bus Garage

Designed by Manchester City Architects Department under G. Noel Hill,^[3] and completed in 1942,^[4] the garage was a pioneering example of its type of construction. It is located on Harling Road, off Sharston Road in the Sharston district of Wythenshawe. It was the second-largest reinforced concrete shell roof structure to be constructed in England. The building's structure was particularly innovative for its time. Its concrete arches have a span of 165 feet (50 m) from side to side, are 42 feet (13 m) high^[5] and spaced 42 feet (13 m) apart. The tensile concrete shell roof between these concrete arches is just 2.5 inches (64 mm) thick and is punctured by large rooflights. Wythenshawe Garage proved to be the model for much larger buildings using the concrete shell roof structure technique, which was an economic method of achieving large uninterrupted roof spans.

Originally designed to garage a hundred double-decker buses, the building on its completion was immediately commandeered by the Ministry of Aircraft Production for work associated with the building and repair of Avro Lancaster bombers in support of Britain's Second World War efforts.^[5]

On its return to Manchester Corporation use in 1946, the building was known as Northenden garage. It housed buses used mainly on routes linking the city centre and the large Wythenshawe housing estate, also on three serving Gatley and Styal, the Sale Moor and Brooklands districts of Sale, and Baguley and the Timperley district of Altrincham.^{[citation needed]}

In the late 20th century, the building transferred to private ownership and is used for car parking.^[5]

• Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
• Listed buildings in Manchester-M22