Manchester's Very Own Ski Slope

During my trips to school on the school bus there was lots of hype around the construction of this 'ski slope'. Was Manchester really going to have its own dry ski slope? Well you can imagine the disappointment of my fellow school goers to discover that this building was actually going to be a museum.

The Urbis Museum which opened in 2002 in Exchange Square is in my opinion one of the most visually pleasing building of Manchester's new Millennium Development. Designed by Ian Simpson, it is supposedly modeled on the Flatiron Building in New York. The building stands out, gets people talking and truly modernizes the city It is a 'twin-skinned glass building with a pre-patinated copper roof'. Manchester is proud of it, it's pointed out to tourists with pride.

The purpose of the museum is to exhibit the history and future of global urbanisation. It exhibits a variety of aspects of city culture. It is not simply an art museum but focuses on urban development, music, graffiti, architecture etc. The exhibitions are interactive and suitable for all age groups.

The Urbis is one of Manchester's true success stories.