The National Computing Centre: “White Heat,” Modernization, and Postwar Manchester

In The National Computing Centre: “White Heat,” Modernization, and Postwar Manchester, Richard Brook examines Britain’s National Computing Centre (Cruickshank & Seward, 1967–75) as an example of mainstream modern architecture. The NCC was a project of Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s Labour government (1964–70), built in Manchester and linked to the creation of Britain’s Ministry of Technology. Set against a backdrop of the ColdWar, nuclear cultures, and emerging computing technologies, this study considers the links between Manchester, its broader region, and the central UK government. Brook situates architecture as both negotiated practice and unfinished project within the context of the state, and describes the role of policy and personnel in site selection, architectural design, and the realization of a politically important postwar project.