Whitworth Art Gallery
Manchester
Ashridge
Extra Wide Plank
Explore this floor
Whitworth Art Gallery
Four-metre prime oak at the Whitworth Art Gallery, approved board by board The £15 million development doubled the gallery’s size and introduced new spaces for its historic collections and research projects. Neutral-toned, prime-grade solid oak was installed across the main galleries, using boards up to four metres long with very few knots and no sapwood. The completed project was later shortlisted for the RIBA Awards. Ted Todd’s commercial team collaborated with Noma Architects on the detailed floor specification. The expansive spans required careful allowances for natural timber movement, so we consulted TRADA to calculate the appropriate expansion requirements. Every plank was individually reviewed and approved by the architects.
- Project type
- Heritage
- Location
- Manchester
- Featured Product
- Ashridge
Project Overview
The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester was transformed by a £15 million development, doubling the size of the gallery by creating new spaces for the gallery's historic collections and research projects. Ted Todd's commercial team collaborated with Noma Architects to supply neutral-toned prime grade solid wood flooring across main gallery areas.
Project Requirements
Installation presented significant complexity due to expansive floor spans. The team consulted TRADA to calculate appropriate board expansion allowances for natural wood movement.
The grading standard was very tight — the wood floor had a very small amount of knots and no sap, in board lengths up to 4 metres. Each plank was signed off individually by the architects.
Why This Floor Was Selected
Though solid wood was originally specified, Ashridge — a 2-ply engineered oak from the Unfinished Oaks collection — achieves comparable aesthetics and durability. It allows on-site finishing customisation. The prime grade oak provides a clean, uniform appearance that displays minimal knots, sap, and colour variation. Its 6mm wear layer enables multiple sandings, ideal for high-traffic heritage spaces.
Outcome
The team at Noma and the Whitworth was very happy with our flooring, which achieved the exact look they wanted. The project went on to be shortlisted for the prestigious RIBA Awards.
Ashridge up close
Ashridge offers a closely aligned prime-grade appearance in a 2-ply engineered oak construction. Its clean surface displays minimal knots, sapwood and colour variation, and the unfinished format allows the final treatment to be applied on site. A 6mm wear layer supports repeated sanding and refinishing in high-traffic gallery spaces. Please note that these images show Ashridge finished on-site. Samples of this floor will reflect a different tone.
Crafted with character, finished by hand:Unfinished Oaks collection
Explore Unfinished OaksDiscover our range of unfinished floors, ready for the final layer that suits the needs of your project.
