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New images have revealed the progress on the major revamp of a landmark arts and heritage venue in Rochdale . Work on the Touchstones gallery started last year, with ambitions to transform it into a creative and cultural hub. The Grade-II listed building will get new flexible performance and studio spaces, meeting rooms, education facilities and improved galleries. Touchstones was originally Rochdale Library in a previous life, before it became the town’s museum and art gallery. To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE A remodelling of the reception area will create a much more welcoming environment, alongside the building’s original tiled floor undergoing restoration, and grand staircase. On the lower floor there is upgraded office space, together with meeting rooms and improved spaces for the museum collections to be safely stored, alongside a large artwork storage area. Upstairs there will be improved gallery spaces, providing better conditions for artwork and a much lighter, brighter experience for visitors. Coun Sue Smith and Estelle Rowe, chief executive of Your Trust, were shown around the transforming site recently. Your Trust will be responsible for running the building when it re-opens. Among the plethora of new cultural spaces, the tour group got a sneak peak of the 130-seat studio performance area. The versatile space will become the home of Touchstones Live – a programme of drama, dance, theatre, comedy, contemporary performance and family shows, as well as being available for private hire, touring productions and schools. Coun Smith said: “It’s great to see so many people hard at work on the site and there has been much progress made already on this important building which is steeped in the rich history of our town. "We’ve seen how all the rooms on the ground floor are taking shape, alongside the dining, collections and performance spaces. “This building is going to be a real game changer for Rochdale when it is finished, you can already get a sense of how vibrant and purposeful it is going to be and what a lasting impact it will have. “We have to be patient now as there is still a good deal of work to do but it will be so worth it.” Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Estelle Rowe, chief executive of Your Trust, added: “Touchstones is a well-loved building over many decades but is being restored and re-purposed for the future. “We have a duty to look after buildings like this as well as make them useful and accessible to all for future generations, and I think something special is going on here.” The redevelopment of Touchstones has been delayed by repair work requirements that cropped up during construction. Repairs to the roof are well underway, including re-slating, together with upgrading of the insulation, renewal of flashings and soakers, improvements to the guttering, new lightning protection and replacement of dormer windows. Due to be completed in 2027 the project is funded by the Cultural Development Fund (a DCMS fund administered by Arts Council England) and Rochdale Borough Council as part of an £8.5m investment into arts and culture across the borough. The Touchstones project forms a key part of the establishment of a creative district in Rochdale town centre, which included the refurbishment of Rochdale Town Hall and the new town hall square.
