The Urbis was opened in June 2002 as part of the redevelopment of the area around Exchange Square known as the Millennium Quarter. The center features changing exhibitions on the subject of city life, alongside talks, gigs and other events. The green glass landmark will close its doors for a final time on February 27, 2010 to be reopened as National Football Museum in 2011.
Currently the National Football Museum is located in Preston, England. It was founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of Association Football memorabilia. The trustees have voted to move the museum to the Urbis exhibition center by the mid- 2011, with Preston becoming a secondary site.
About GBP8 million ($12.7 million approx) will be spent to reconfigure the interior of Urbis. The project will involve a remodeling of the shop, cafe and education spaces in anticipation of a projected increase in visitor numbers.
Urbis is located in a unique building in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, designed by English architect Ian Simpson. The design and shape of the building can be compared with the Flatiron Building in New York – one of the first skyscrapers ever built.
Urbis is the second major British exhibition center to close following Glasgow’s Lighthouse in 2009.
