Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Context: Celebrating its 175th birthday in 2013, Manchester School of Art is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the UK. The school was established in the 19th Century to help keep the region competitive in an international market and support regional industry in a wider marketplace.

Now a faculty of Manchester Metropolitan University this remains an important objective for the Art school and a key part of the brief was to help the school bridge the gap between education and professional life.
Photography: Hufton+Crow
The new building celebrates the interrelation of the various art & design disciplines and encourages 21st-century students to work alongside each other and enjoy the crossover rather than concentrating always on the differences. With a huge front window, it is also a building that is proud of its product and shows the work to everyone who passes by.
Now one of the leading Art & Design courses in the country, the School has around 3500 FTE students across its various disciplines. Housed within a range of late Victorian and post-war buildings, the School forms the southern edge of All Saints? Park, a green square at the heart of the city center campus. The Art School Extension consists of an 8600m2 new building of studios, workshops, and a gallery; and a 9000m2 refurbishment of a 1960s Arts tower and plinth.

Concept: FCB?s design of the Manchester School of Art has provided an engaging and li...