The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester The conversion of the listed Grade II Cotton Exchange into a Theatre. Completed in 1976, this building formed a landmark in the use of redundant structures in this country. As well as saving a magnificent Edwardian building, the scheme acted as a catalyst to the centre of Manchester, turning what had been a run-down, shabby part of town into a successful business, commercial and entertainment area. The building has been refurbished following major damage caused by the IRA bomb, to provide new facilities for the theatre, appropriate to the beginning of the 21st Century. The scheme was the subject of a successful Lottery grant application, and was completed at the end of 1998. The 750-seat theatre is designed around a seven sided form, making it the largest possible purpose-built theatre-in-the-round in Europe. The steel structure is clad in glass to allow the visual linking of the inside of the auditorium with the hall surrounding it.
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