It lies at the south-east range of the old quadrangle of the University, with the Manchester Museum adjoined to the north, and the former Christie Library connected to the west.

[1] The official opening ceremony took place on 12 March 1902, when the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary) were present.

The building is constructed of sandstone, with red tiled roofs in fish scale bands, and is connected to the Manchester Museum to the north via a 2-storey entrance archway.

It has a hammerbeam roof (unusually the lower timbers spring from freestanding columns), a dais and a large organ occupy the northernmost part of the hall, and raised wooden galleries project from both northern and southern walls.

[11] The lower floor of the building is of a much less lofty construction, and is separated into a number of meeting rooms, consisting of five boardrooms and a council chamber.