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The Printworks in Manchester will celebrate its 25th birthday this weekend. Opening its doors on November 9, 2000, the development was part of Manchester's rebirth following the IRA bomb in 1996. The stars shone brightly on opening night, with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and US soul legend Lionel Richie as the guests of honour. The United boss kicked off the celebrations by booting a football through a giant paper screen covering the entrance. Celebrities mingled at the VIP party at the complex's Hard Rock Café, while thousands enjoyed live music, which reached a climax with US superstar Lionel Richie singing his showstopper, "All Night Long." It wasn't just a grand opening of a new entertainment complex; the opening of the Printworks was hugely symbolic of Manchester rebuilding itself after the IRA attack four years earlier. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE However, the devastating terrorist attack in 1996 wasn't the only threat to the building's existence through the years . The landmark on the corner of Withy Grove and Corporation Street had once been Europe's biggest newspaper plant. Opening in 1873 as Withy Grove Printing House by Edward Hulton, it was later expanded by Hulton's son, Sir Edward Hulton. When he retired in 1923, he sold his London and Manchester publishing business, and soon after, it became Allied Newspapers, a consortium formed in 1924 and renamed Kemsley Newspapers in 1943. This resulted in the building's name changing frequently over the years - from Withy Grove Printing House to the Chronicle Buildings, to Allied House, then Kemsley House. Kemsley House was gradually developed from 1929 onwards, and became the largest newspaper office and printing house in Europe. It was a hive of journalism producing titles including the Manchester Evening Chronicle and the Daily Mirror, as well as long-forgotten papers, such as the Sunday Graphic. It was also a place where the northern editions of many daily papers, including The Daily Mirror and Daily Telegraph, were printed. It became crucial in distributing news outside of London. As a result, the building was dubbed 'the Fleet Street of the north'. In the mid-20th century, the building changed hands as newspaper groups consolidated. In 1959, the Canadian media mogul Roy Thomson bought a controlling interest in Kemsley Newspapers, and the building was renamed Thomson House. The closure of the Manchester Evening Chronicle in 1963 was marked by the famous last-edition headline Wiped Out which referred to the Skopje earthquake disaster in Yugoslavia. However, many believe the irony was intentional - and that the "splash" headline was, in fact, a defiant salute for posterity and the newspaper's last farewell to its Manchester readers. It housed a printing press until 1985, when it was purchased by disgraced newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell for £1, raising immediate concerns about the jobs of everyone working there. It was renamed Maxwell House, and Maxwell went on to close the plant the following year, in the wake of a scandal. Maxwell expanded his media empire too rapidly and borrowed more than he could afford, resorting to raiding the pension fund to prop up his company. After Maxwell House was closed, the building lay idle for a decade, and Maxwell himself died on November 5, 1991, his body discovered floating in the Atlantic Ocean after he fell overboard from his yacht. The historic press building lay dormant for well over a decade and had fallen into disrepair. After the 1996 IRA bombing, the building was bought in 1998 by Shudehill Developments, a joint venture between the Co-operative Wholesale Society and the Co-operative Insurance Society. It was renamed Printworks to reflect its history. It underwent a massive £110 million transformation as part of the Exchange Square project, opening as an entertainment centre. It was launched on November 9, 2000, as a new, 365-square-foot facility over four floors. Since then, A-listers continue to pass through the doors. From all the local Corrie stars to Kylie Minogue, David Beckham and Will Smith. While bars, restaurants, and other businesses have come and gone from the Printworks over its quarter-century, it remains a hot spot in Manchester. It is home to Vue Cinemas, which features one of Europe's largest IMAX screens. One business that has stood the test of time is the Hard Rock Café, which has been a fixture since the Printworks first opened. The entertainment complex has recently undergone a multi-million-pound transformation with the installation of the largest digital screen in Europe. The show-stopping ceiling, covering the entire Printworks internal streets, displays creative content and special effects from day to night. At the same time, visitors can interact with the screens and compete with other guests on the giant interactive e-gaming screen.
