Cornerhouse....

Cornerhouse is an arts centre in a mismatched collection of buildings at the bottom of the incline leading to Oxford Road Station in Manchester. It shows art house films (definitely NOT movies) and cutting edge art exhibitions. It has a good book shop and a great cafe and bar with wonderful views of the Palace Hotel across the street. It's popular and busy on its buzzy corner of Manchester.

And sadly it's closing. But it's not all bad as it's moving to a spanking, new building, where it will join forces with the homeless Library Theatre. It was made homeless by the renovation of Central Library.

I was concerned about the location, architecture and name for the new building. It's in a quiet, out of the way corner of the city called First Street in the shadow of the Hilton Tower. A chance tweet to the CEO of Cornerhouse got me invited me in to discuss my concerns.

I took this picture before I went in. This used to be Shaw's Furniture Store in the olden days. Its other main building, under Oxford Road Station, used to be one of Manchester's 'dirty mac' cinemas but closed when I was in my teens. Old enough to be interested but not tall enough to get in! I've made the building look taller than it actually is by standing right under it to take the shot....