Urbis

Urbis was a museum and exhibition centre in Manchester, England, that operated from 2002 to 2010 before reopening in 2012 as the National Football Museum. Designed by Ian Simpson and located in Cathedral Gardens at the edge of Exchange Square, the building was conceived as a symbol of urban regeneration following the IRA bombing of Manchester in 1996. Though initially intended as a Museum of the City, Urbis shifted its focus after disappointing visitor numbers and eventually found new purpose housing the relocated National Football Museum.

Urbis opened on 27 June 2002 as part of the redevelopment of Exchange Square in Manchester's Millennium Quarter, an area severely damaged by the 1996 IRA bombing. The project received £30 million from the Millennium Commission, including £20 million specifically from that body, plus £1 million from Manchester City Council toward running costs. Elizabeth Usher served as the museum's first director but resigned in March 2003 amid criticism that the exhibits were too abstract and unappealing. First-year attendance fell 58,000 short of the 200,000 target, prompting the Millennium Commission to threaten reclaiming its funds if the city council closed the venue.

Visitor numbers dropped below 200 per day by October 2003, and the annual £2 million subsidy from Manchester City Council drew criticism. Admission was scrapped in December 2003, after which attendance tripled by January 2004 and increased fivefold by April 2004. In 2004, Urbis was rebranded as an exhibition centre for British popular culture with emphasis on Manchester, deliberately dropping the term museum. This shift proved successful, with over a quarter of visitors coming from outside the city.

Plans to relocate the National Football Museum from Preston emerged in 2009. Despite recovery from its early struggles, Urbis closed in February 2010 for conversion. Preston City Council opposed the move, and though Lancashire interests offered £400,000 annually, Manchester City Council's £2 million bid secured the relocation. The building reopened in 2012 as the National Football Museum, attracting 350,000 visitors in its first nine months.

During its original incarnation from 2002 to 2004, Urbis functioned as a Museum of the City focused on urban culture and modern city life, with particular emphasis on Manchester's own urban development. The exhibition space covered five floors and hosted temporary exhibitions running three to five months. After the 2004 rebranding, the scope broadened to encompass British popular culture with Manchester at its centre, incorporating workshops and exhibitions on diverse subjects. The programming embraced contemporary art, music, fashion, photography, and design, moving away from permanent collections toward rotating temporary exhibitions and live events including talks, gigs, and special events.

As an exhibition centre rather than a traditional museum with a permanent collection, Urbis was defined by its temporary exhibitions. Notable shows included The Peter Saville Show in 2004, celebrating the influential graphic designer; Punk: Sex, Seditionaries and the Sex Pistols and Rock 'n' Roll Icons: the photography of Mick Rock in 2005; the British Art Show 6 in 2006; an Emory Douglas retrospective in 2008 featuring work by the Black Panther artist; How Manga Took Over The World in 2008; Home Grown: The Story of UK Hip Hop from October 2009 to February 2010; and State of Art: New York from April to September 2009. The Haçienda 25 The Exhibition in 2007 commemorated the legendary Manchester nightclub. Other exhibitions addressed urban gardening, independent publishing through the Manchester Zinefest, and the city's television industry with Manchester, Television & the City: Ghosts of Winter Hill.

Urbis stands in Cathedral Gardens at the edge of Exchange Square, facing toward the square. Designed by Simpson Haugh and Partners with consulting engineers Martin Stockley Associates, the building reaches 35 metres in height and comprises six storeys in a distinctive sloping form that narrows toward the top. The fully glazed facades contain approximately 2,200 glass panes arranged in horizontal strips. Visitors were originally intended to travel to the top floor by lift to view the cityscape, then descend through cascading mezzanine floors past exhibits. The building incorporates an adiabatic cooling system for summer use and a heat recovery system for winter, enhancing its energy efficiency. A diagonally running lift connects the floors. The site forms part of the Millennium Quarter redevelopment, adjacent to the public park of Cathedral Gardens.

Urbis was located in central Manchester, England, within the Millennium Quarter. During its operation as Urbis, it was largely financed by Manchester City Council and offered free admission from December 2003 onward. The building housed additional facilities including a café, restaurant, conference rooms, and a souvenir shop. From August 2005, local television station Channel M maintained offices and studios in the building. The venue also hosted the annual Manchester Fashion Weekend each October. Since 2012, the building has served as the National Football Museum, with free admission and an expected annual attendance of 400,000 visitors, four times the figure at its Preston location.