One of the most interesting and most unusual attractions of Manchester is Urbis, which is an exhibition centre for modern city life. It is part museum, because the vibrant city life changes so quickly. It is located in the city centre and houses exhibitions and displays of gardening, music, contemporary art, design, and environment. There is so much there that you may not be able to see it all properly in a day but that is no problem because admission is free.
The Social is the Urbis’ bar; there is also The Modern, which is the centre’s restaurant. Exhibitions change regularly and include things such as the urban environment, music, graffiti, design, and modern architecture. Urbis shows off hi-tech modern living at its finest.
The Cube Gallery complements a visit to Urbis very well. Cube is an acronym for Centre for the Urban Built Environment and it is known as Europe’s most comprehensive design and architecture gallery. The Centre sets out to demonstrate the thinking behind the way buildings and space are used together in the modern city environment and is the main art and design centre for the North West of England.
Manchester’s Peoples’ History Museum puts all this contemporary design into perspective. It traces the struggles of the working class in Manchester over the years. The building has recently been refurbished. There are exhibitions of labour history, education and the textile industry, which are all part of Manchester’s social and industrial past and they show how the city developed into the modern, vibrant metropolis that it is today.