Urbis (culture and exhibition center)
The Urbis is a cultural and exhibition center in Manchester that has housed the UK's National Football Museum since 2012 .
history
After a bombing of the IRA in 1996 at the Exchange Square in downtown Manchester some buildings were so badly damaged that it had to be demolished. This was followed by a redesign of what is now known as the Millennium Quarter . Part of this redesign was the creation of a public park, Cathedral Gardens , and the construction of the Urbis, which is on the edge of the park and faces Exchange Square. It opened in June 2002.
The building, designed by the British architect Ian Simpson , is 35 meters high and has five floors, which become smaller and smaller due to the shape of the building. They are connected to one another by an inclined elevator. The Urbis was planned as a museum for urban culture and life in the modern city. One focus was on the urban development of Manchester itself. As visitor numbers were lower than expected, entry was free from 2004 onwards. The term "museum" was no longer used and the focus shifted to workshops and exhibitions on various topics of popular culture , e.g. B. Every year in October, the Manchester Fashion Weekend takes place in the Urbis . In addition to the exhibition rooms, there was a café, a restaurant, conference rooms and a souvenir shop. From August 2005 the local television station Channel M also had its offices and studios in the Urbis.
As of 2009, there were plans to move the Preston- based National Football Museum to a larger city where more revenue was expected. Although the Urbis had recovered from the teething troubles, Manchester City Council, which largely funded the Urbis, decided to close it in February 2010. It was renovated and reopened in 2012 as the new home of the National Football Museum.
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 53 ° 29 ′ 9 ″ N , 2 ° 14 ′ 31.5 ″ W.