Urbis

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The Urbis exhibition centre in Manchester.

Urbis is an exhibition centre located in central Manchester, England. The centre features changing exhibitions on the subject of city life, alongside talks, gigs and other events.

Urbis's programme of changing exhibitions focuses on the culture of the modern city, covering contemporary art, music, fashion and photography as well as family-oriented shows. Alongside this, it hosts a learning programme dedicated to citizenship and tackling the issues young people face by living in a city.[1]

The building opened in June 2002 as part of the redevelopment of the area around Exchange Square known as the Millennium Quarter. After initial controversy over funding, Urbis had its most successful year ever in 2006.[2]

Contents

[edit] The building and exhibitions

Urbis from the side, showing garden and fountains

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. Urbis was built in 2002.

The exhibition centre is set across five floors. Hosting temporary exhibitions that run from between three to five months. Each October, the entire building is given over to Manchester Fashion Weekend, an offshoot of a similar event in London.

Urbis also contains The Social (a bar and cafe), a shop, rooms for corporate hire and a restaurant and bar, The Modern, on the fifth and sixth floors. Since August 2005 the offices and studios of Manchester's television station Channel M have been located in the building.

[edit] Exhibitions & Events

The launch night for the D&AD exhibition at Urbis

[edit] 2008

[edit] 2007

  • The Haçienda 25 The Exhibition: Fac 491
  • D&AD Exhibition: The Best Design and Advertising in the World
  • Catapult 07
  • Arrivals & Departures: New Art Perspectives of Hong Kong
  • PLAY: Experience the Adventure of Our Cities
  • Best of Manchester

[edit] 2006

The British Art Show 6 at Urbis
  • Under Surveillance
  • British Art Show 6
  • Little Black Dress
  • D&AD: The Best Advertising Design in the World
  • Manchester 0161: This is what we're made of
  • The China Show
  • Make Me Shine

[edit] 2005

The SuperCity exhibition at Urbis
  • Rock 'n' Roll Icons: the photography of Mick Rock
  • Punk: Sex, Seditionaries and the Sex Pistols
  • SuperCity

[edit] 2004

  • Manchester 24
  • ILL COMMUNICATION II
  • DTroit
  • The Sounds of Two Cities
  • Futuresonic04
  • The Peter Saville Show

[edit] 2003

  • Compost Cities
  • Ill Communication
  • Taxi!
  • Heliodays in the rainy city

[edit] 2002

  • Architecture by Stealth

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Manifesto for Peace, Manchester Evening News, October 10, 2007. URL accessed December 120th, 2007.
  2. ^ Visitors flock to Urbis, Manchester Evening News, December, 06, 2006. URL accessed March 18th, 2007.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 53°29′08″N 2°14′31″W / 53.48556°N 2.24194°W / 53.48556; -2.24194

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