URBIS Museum, Manchester UK

Architect: Ian Simpson
Year of Completion: 2001


A MillenniumLottery funded £29m project won by ISA following an international competition for a Manchester City Centre landmark building to provide an interactive forum for the interpretation of the city.
The building grows from its setting and the functional requirements of volume floor plate size and circulation and is wrapped in a translucent skin. The Ground Floor forms an arena for meeting, waiting, watching and consuming. From Level 1 the dramatic main staircase and funicular lift rise past the upper gallery floors of reducing area to the rooftop restaurant / cafe.

http://www.iansimpsonarchitects.com/PROJECTS/URBIS/img/Urbis08.jpg

http://www.startrek-online.net/images/jon/ManCorpStUrbisLimoNt3913.jpg

http://www.startrek-online.net/images/jon/ManCisUrbNthTwrVw4517.jpg

http://www.startrek-online.net/images/jon/ManUrbisCISRainDusk2704.jpg

http://www.startrek-online.net/images/jon/ManUrbisSnow4227.jpg

http://www.startrek-online.net/images/jon/urbis3web.jpg

Cool design ... very original.

8.5

Come on, it's just yet another funny shaped lump of glass cladding. An architectural establishment that expects people to be impressed by its ability to think up this sort of thing deserves to be treated with derision. A whole 4/10 because it's not very big nor aggressively shiny.

Interesting shape and nice contrast when compared with the buildings in the area (solely based on pictures presented here though). I'd give it an 8.

Come on, it's just yet another funny shaped lump of glass cladding. An architectural establishment that expects people to be impressed by its ability to think up this sort of thing deserves to be treated with derision. A whole 4/10 because it's not very big nor aggressively shiny.



Yeah its a funny shaped piece of glass so what most catedrals are just lumped funny pieces of stone. Its nice - has a distinct form and I find it pleasing. You are judging this building from a far too traditionalist point of view.

7.5

Here here Vigo..

Urbis is and will be a marker for when Manchester began its regeneration, I remember the first time I visited Manchester, came out of Victoria station to be greeted with a nice Co-op bank building opposite, the CIS tower looming over head, you walk down the street passed many victorian buildings and then there she is, Urbis. Its small, so? It is actually shiney and a good facade, the shape is nice, it fits in well to the area.. only thing that Im not sure of is the needle type spire on top.. doesn't look entirely beneficial to the building, other than that.. she is a lil' gem - 7/10

Yeah its a funny shaped piece of glass so what most catedrals are just lumped funny pieces of stone. Its nice - has a distinct form and I find it pleasing. You are judging this building from a far too traditionalist point of view.

7.5

It is a crude, simplistic shape and it looks cheap. Does that apply to the great cathedrals? I am judging it with my eyes open and an indifference to fashion.

P. Cronin I am no loyal follower of everything that gets built and called innovative. Personally I hate everything Will Alsop, a supposedly very innovative architect, has ever designed. But I do like this building and I can not see what is supposed to be cheap about it - you should explain more instead of just using simplistic insulting adjectives and maybe I could "really" respond to what you say. And beleive me if you actually noticed me around here and the many debates I am involved with you would know I certainly don't mind being sneered at or debated with.

I like it. Wasn't keen on it when I first saw it, but I love it now. Especially from the front.

Am not really a fan of it but its growing on me fast, also it stands out from most of the other buildings and its got the sloping roof thing which seems to becoming the thing for Manchester new buildings. so.. 8/10

8.5/10
Interesting shape and the glasses have an original color.

8/10

quite interesting

8/10

4/10! This is one modern building in Manchester which I don't like. I hate the shape and colour and I hate how it sticks out like a sore thumb in amongst all those old buildings. The actual museum isn't that great either. Top marks for the little park outside though.

8.5
looks nice. Not sure about the pointy thing on the roof. Looks a bit funny.

7.5/10
i find it quite bland and i dislike the color of the roof

Urbis Museum Manchester, UK

http://www.urbis.org.uk/images/general/urbis-logo.gif

http://www.ssagorally.org.uk/images/activity/urbis.jpg

http://www.cda.org.uk/arch/pages/Design_awards/cia10/urbis/Urbis%20sh1.jpg

http://www.britishcouncil.org/jp/japan-trenduk-urbis-330x220

http://www.gonline.demon.co.uk/manchester/urbis1web.jpg

http://www.wku.edu/geoweb/studyabroad/Britain04/urbis.jpg

http://www.infomotions.com/gallery/manchester/Images/DSCN4748.jpg

http://www.johndavies.uk.com/Manchester-Urbis.jpg

Please state your opinion... :)

8/10

Thats a fair judement...I like your sig too...

I think it's position gives the Urbis an 8 from me. Striking glass by old style buildings says "I am here" in none too in your face manner. Stood next to it on Corporation St, looking at the endless, uniform glass lends an imposing graceness to it.

I hate Urbis with a passion. It's the naffest recent development in the UK with the possible exception of the Angel of the North. I cannot believe it has aquired the status of a landmark.

I hate Urbis with a passion. It's the naffest recent development in the UK with the possible exception of the Angel of the North. I cannot believe it has aquired the status of a landmark.

Are you serious? I love it as much as you hate it. It's stylish, eyecatching and was a major part of Manchester regeneration after the IRA bomb in '96. This building stands for 'rebirth in the face of adversity'. It deserves it's place in Cathedral Gardens.

It's not a tall building, but it's iconic never the less.. One of my favourite Manchester buildings 8.5/10

^ It's not that I would want a tall building - I don't think it's the right place - but I just hate the shape of it and the glass and the lawns around it. It just looks and feels so naff to me. It's incongrous and lumpen - clumsy architecture. I know that other people love it but honestly I cannot for the life of me understand why.

Looks a bit like the Main Triangel in Frankfurt!
What kind of exhibits are in this museum?

Looks a bit like the Main Triangel in Frankfurt!
What kind of exhibits are in this museum?

Urbis explores Urban culture and the cities of today and tomorrow through four floors of exhibitions about city life.

Are you serious? I love it as much as you hate it. It's stylish, eyecatching and was a major part of Manchester regeneration after the IRA bomb in '96. This building stands for 'rebirth in the face of adversity'. It deserves it's place in Cathedral Gardens.

It's not a tall building, but it's iconic never the less.. One of my favourite Manchester buildings 8.5/10

Exaclty...I remember it being built...Was thinking...."ey?"

As for monkey...well pff...I'm just not going bother :)

6.5/10

7/10

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/t.woof/gen/urbis-IMGP4316-tc-txt.JPG

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/t.woof/gen/Urbis0803A-txt.jpg

http://www.brentwoodmagazine.com/media-3/globe/GW-URBIS.jpg

looking up inside the buidling

http://www.adebroom.plus.com/images/manchester/slides/urbis-internal.jpg

the view...

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/001ewm/lg/ManUrbisMedia2411CityVw.jpg

The cladding has a wonderful soft colour,but I don't like the location of the building that much.

8/10

I like it 8.5/10

Sad in comparision to The Imperial War Musuem North , The Guggenheim Bilbao,Calatrava's Valencia and just about every other recent or new musuem/science/art building I can think of .

8.5/10

7.5/10

7.5/10

Modern 7/10

8/10

8/10

8.5/10.

8.5/10.

How can they build this horrible thing in the historic part of Manchester? :ohno: :rant:
I won't vote!!!

8/10

How can they build this horrible thing in the historic part of Manchester? :ohno: :rant:
I won't vote!!!
It's been the catalyst for a lot of regeneration in that part of the city centre, a welcome one at that. You'd be suprised at how well it actually fits in, especially with the extensive cathedral gardens.

8/10

9/10

9,5/10

8.5/10

8/10

7.5/10

8/10

8/10

7.5/10

7/10

cool!

why is this thread in the Asia/Australia section??? can a mod please move it?

8/10 btw...:)

It's not a tower and neither it is in Asia and Australia section but 10/10 for the design :okay:.

7,5

7 .. short

8/10 :)

8/10

8/10:)

8/10

7/10

8/10

8/10

8.5/10

10/10

9. Very good. Regards.

9/10

8.5/10

8.5/10

it's ok but not really for a museum. 8/10

8/10

7/10