John Rylands Library wins major international award in its 125th Anniversary year
08 Dec 2025
Our world-famous library wins prestigious FX Museum or Exhibition Space award having “reimagined what a 21st-century research library can be, creating spaces that honour our extraordinary heritage while embracing innovation and inclusivity.”
The John Rylands Library has been awarded the FX Award for Museum or Exhibition Space 2025, triumphing in a highly competitive international category.
The Library was recognised alongside an exceptional field of global institutions including The Long Museum (Shanghai, China), The Florence Nightingale Museum (London, UK), Übersee Museum (Bremen, Germany), National Maritime Museum (London, UK), Missoni Sky (Toronto, Canada), KINCANG Lounge (Shaoxing, China), Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester, UK), Perth Museum (Perth, Australia), Rapt Studio (Milan, Italy), Toyota City Museum (Toyota, Japan), and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Antwerp, Netherlands).
The award recognises the successful completion of The John Rylands Library Next Chapter project, delivered through a collaboration between the University Library, architects Donald Insall Associates, and designers Nissen Richards Studio. The achievement is particularly fitting as The John Rylands Library celebrates its 125th anniversary year, having first opened to readers and visitors on 1 January 1900.
Professor Christopher Pressler, University Librarian, and his senior team have been working for five years through the University Library's Imagine2030 vision to deliver this transformative project. The work focused on the sensitive upgrade to key areas to enhance visitor engagement and to ensure that the Grade I-listed building can respond to and cater for the challenges of the next generation.
The project included the total refurbishment of the main exhibition spaces, the development of a state-of-the-art advanced imaging laboratory, the creation of a flexible event and teaching space, and a complete reimagining of the main entrance, retail and welcome areas.
One of the key elements of the brief was to create new display possibilities, so that more of the remarkable treasures from the Rylands' collection could be put on display at any one time. The temporary gallery was already working as an exhibition space but had not been upgraded for many years. It now features new exhibition furniture that underwent rigorous testing with different materials and light conditions.
The John Rylands Library, one of the acknowledged great libraries of the world, is the third largest academic library system in the UK after Oxford and Cambridge and is at the heart of the largest single-site university in Britain.
Professor Christopher Pressler, University Librarian and Director of The John Rylands Library, said: “We are thrilled that this prestigious award has been won by The University of Manchester Library. It recognises not only the extraordinary transformation we have achieved but also the collaborative vision and dedication of everyone involved in bringing this project to life.”
Patrick Hackett, Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer at The University of Manchester, agreed: “I am delighted to congratulate The John Rylands Library on winning this prestigious FX Award. This recognition is richly deserved and reflects the exceptional quality of the Next Chapter refurbishment project.
“Under Professor Pressler's visionary leadership, the Library has reimagined what a 21st-century research library can be, creating spaces that honour our extraordinary heritage while embracing innovation and inclusivity. This achievement demonstrates the Library's continued importance as one of the University's greatest assets and its vital contribution to our ‘Manchester 2035’ ambitions.
“I am immensely proud of what the Library team has accomplished, and this award is testament to the imagination, dedication and excellence that defines their work.”
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