Urbis
Urbis is an exhibition centre in Manchester, UK.
The centre features interactive exhibits and changing exhibitions on the subject of city life. Urbis challenges ideas and concepts relating to the development of cities and highlights both environmental and social issues that must be considered in the future development of the urban environment. Like many modern museums Urbis is highly interactive and is developed with education and learning as a key focus.
Urbis' programme of changing exhibitions focuses on the culture of the modern city, with explorations of design, architecture, graffiti, photography, music and fashion.
The building opened in June 2002 as part of the redevelopment of the area known as the Millenium Quarter.
The building and exhibitions
Urbis is located in a unique building in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, designed by Ian Simpson. The design and shape of the building can be compared with the Flatiron Building in New York.
The exhibition centre is set across five floors. Floor four focus on life in Manchester; floors two and three contain interactive exhibits on various aspects of city life. The first and ground floors hold temporary exhibitions which change regularly.
Urbis also contains The Social (a bar and cafe), a shop, rooms for corporate hire and a restaurant, Le Mont, on the fifth and sixth floors. Manchester's television station Channel M has recently moved its offices and studios into the building.
Past exhibitions
2006
- Little Black Dress
- British Art Show 6
2005
- Rock 'n' Roll Icons: the photography of Mick Rock
- Punk: Sex, Seditionaries and the Sex Pistols
- SuperCity
2004
- Manchester 24
- ILL COMMUNICATION II
- DTroit
- The Sounds of Two Cities
- Futuresonic04
- The Peter Saville Show
2003
- Compost Cities
- Ill Communication
- Taxi!
Controversy over Funding
The funding of Urbis has been a source of controversy in Manchester, with the City Council subsidising the Centre to the sum of £1 million every year. Councillor Richard Wilson defected from the Labour Party to the Liberal Democrats over this funding issue.