page_title: Urbis
section_title: Architecture and design
hierarchical_section_title: Urbis / Architecture and design
caption_attribution_description: English: The Urbis Building Urbis, set in Cathedral Gardens, a new green space in Manchester's Millennium Quarter, is one of the city's few island buildings. Designed by Ian Simpson Architects and standing 35 metres high, it houses a museum and exhibition centre focusing on city life which covers photography, design, architecture, music, contemporary art and also offers free interactive exhibits, family activities, a shop and a cafe bar. Urbis is visually striking, its shimmering glass skin comprises of 2,200 glazed units, each one individually fashioned to form the sculptured surface of the building, reflecting the surrounding cityscape.
context_page_description: Urbis was an exhibition and museum in Manchester, England, designed by Ian Simpson. The building opened in June 2002 as part of the redevelopment of Exchange Square known as the Millennium Quarter. Urbis was commissioned as a 'Museum of the City' but visitor numbers were lower than expected and a switch was made in 2005-6 to presenting changing exhibitions on popular-culture alongside talks, gigs and special events. Urbis was closed in 2010, after the opportunity arose for Manchester to host the National Football Museum. In 2012, the building re-opened after a complete re-fit as the permanent National Football Museum.
context_section_description: Urbis is a building in Cathedral Gardens, designed by SimpsonHaugh and Partners with consulting engineers  Martin Stockley Associates. The building has six storeys and a distinctive sloping form. Visitors were intended to travel to the top floor, accessed by an elevator, to admire the cityscape, then progress down a series of cascading mezzanine floors past exhibits about cities. The fully glazed facades consist of approximately 2,200 glass panes arranged in horizontal strips. The building has an adiabatic cooling system for use in summer and heat recovery system for use in winter increasing its energy efficiency.
caption: Urbis from Cathedral Gardens.
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