Urbis Manchester. 2. Background and Context:

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1 Urbis Manchester 1. Project Basics: Location: Manchester, United Kingdom s Exchange Square/Millennium Quarter Latitude/Longitude: North and 2 14 West, 138 feet above sea level HDD, CDD; annual precipitation: 32 inches Building type: Museum to urban life Square footage; stories: 79,500 S.F.-4 stories Completion: 2002 Client: Manchester City Council Design team: Ian Simpson Architects, Martin Stockley Associates (engineers), Farley Consulting (acoustics), Farley Consulting (MEP) archrecorc.construction.com 2. Background and Context: Designed by the local firm Ian Simpson Architects and built in 2002, Urbis is located in Manchester s redeveloped Millennium Quarter. It replaces a car park in an area devastated by the 1996 IRA bomb, it is one of Manchester s most recognized buildings. Manchester City Council held an international competition to design a building for the site. One of the key reasons why Ian Simpson s design won, was that it left room for the surrounding gardens. All other submissions placed buildings in the middle of the space. By leaving the center location open Ian Simpson allowed the Millennium Quarter to develop it s own urban zone. Manchester, which regards itself with some justification as the second city of England, has a proud record when it comes to cultural regeneration. The city, which was once one archrecorc.construction.com

2 of the world s great manufacturing powerhouses, has adapted better than most to the postindustrial age. Three recent projects Daniel Libeskind s Imperial War Museum, Sir Michael Hopkins s extension to the city s 19th-century art gallery, and Ian Simpson s Urbis give the flavor. Urbis was not built in response to any overwhelming need for it, but rather to act as a symbol of rebirth after an I.R.A. terrorist bomb devastated Manchester s urban center in Ian Simpson, one of a squad of excellent younger architects who emerged in the city in the 1990s, played a key role in the urbanistic elements of the reconstruction, which has an overall value of at least 500 million. In terms of the program, Urbis was to be an interactive museum devoted to the city and urbanism. In the words of Simpson, it is "not a museum so much as a series of experiences of different cities around the world." (Architectural Record) 3. Design Intent & Validation: Only six stories high, Urbis s narrow banding of double glass walls gives it a heroic scale, suggesting many more floors. The building works on the cascade principle: You take a scenic funicular-railway car that rises up through the building to the fourth level, and then work your way back down through the exhibition levels, by stair or lift. But the top two floors, which are occupied by a reservation-only restaurant and bar, and which have the best views, are inaccessible to normal visitors. As the glossy prow of an effectively triangular plan at an important urban intersection, this reworking of New York s Flatiron building plays its role with aplomb, even with a meaningless cranked prong on top. Because it rises from a low base, the angled roof is clearly visible. This is well handled, with a central spine of glazing surrounded by prepatinated copper tiles. Inside, the succession of four open floor decks spiraling up the building succeed in creating spatial dynamism.

3 Urbis is a visually striking building from whichever way you approach it. Immediately eye-catching is the unique glass façade which consists of over 2,000 panes of glass. The roof is made of pre-aged copper tiling. As copper changes to emerald with age, these tiles are already old fitting in well with the colour of the glass. The shape of the building intends to reflect the historic surroundings. The South end tapers in width but rises to 35 m, to meet the busy intersection of Corporation Street and Withy Grove. The curved front reflects other buildings at this intersection, including the Corn Exchange and the Printworks. The angled spire at the top reaches 42m and directs the eye to Manchester city centre. Urbis reflects the city, not only in its design but also in its content, featuring exhibitions on Manchester s popular culture, world cities and the wider aspects of city life. (Architectural Record) Skylight: used to achieve natural day-lighting into the depths of the building. Zoning: positioned to frame the cathedral gardens. 4. Key Design Strategies: Sheathed within a glass skin made up of 22,000 glazed units, each one is individually fashioned to achieve the sculptural curves forming the mass of the building. Glazing detailing: double-glazed to help insulate and vent Glazing treatment: sand-blasted semi-diffused glazing controls glare while allowing select view through transparent panels The engineering design includes an in-situ r.c. frame building structure with posttensioned concrete floor plates, and an engineered self-supporting steel and glass envelope wrapping around the building frame. Copper roofing: the roof matches the glazing by using pre-patined copper that has a bluish green hue. Merega.ltd.com

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5 Massing: designed to point towards the center of Manchester. Façade: numerous horizontal data create the appearance of more than six stories giving the building imposing presence. Elevator: glass and angled at 45 ; uses a counterbalance system (first of its kind in Europe) 5. Performance Studies: Air supply: 33.0 cubic meters per second Heat recovery: 80% efficiency in winter Cooling: 8 indirect Menerga adiabatic cool 18 in mid summer meeting all but extreme cases and operates 50% more energy efficient than conventional chillers Passive strategies: nighttime flush cooling is employed to reduce cooling needs in summer and a buffer zone in the glass curtain wall prevents excessive heat gains. (Menerga)

6 6. Further Information: Ian Simpson: T +44 (0) F +44 (0) mail@iansimpsonarchitects.com Martin Stockley Assoc: T +44 (0) F +44 (0) References: sp

7 8. How to get there: 1. Head northwest 190 ft 2. Turn left toward A6042/New Bridge St 3. Turn right toward A6042/New Bridge St 4. Turn left at A6042/New Bridge St 5. Turn left at A56/Great Ducie St Continue to follow A56 56 ft 82 ft 0.1 mi 0.2 mi Take the train to Victoria station then it is a two minute walk: 6. Turn left at Fennel St Destination will be on the right 125 ft Urbis Cathedral St Manchester, Manchester, M4 3

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