曼彻斯特的街景 streetscape

 　Few buildings survive from before the time of the Industrial Revolution. The Manchester that visitors see is， almost totally， a city of the C19 and C20. If you detect a degree of flashiness， especially with the Victorian and Edwardian buildings， then that is because they so often acted as bricks and mortar advertisements for their proprietors. Thus we have an anthology of styles. Not only are neighbouring buildings different from each other， but often the same building completes startling architectural acrobatics. The effect can be overdone but the result is usually entertaining with wild and variegated patterns， a crazy riot of window decoration， and grinning gargoyles and sculptures. Note too the very good work from the last few decades， much by distinguished local designers.