Buildings of Distinction - HOME - Manchester

Buildings of Distinction - HOME - Manchester

May, 14 2026


They say ‘Home is where the heart is’ and this heart is HOME to Manchester based arts centre, cinema and theatre complex. It sits with five cinemas, two theatres and 500m2 ( 5, 400 sq ft ) of gallery space. It is known for being one of the few arts organisations to commission, produce and present work across film, theatre and visual art.

Take a look at this guided tour video –

People may take it for granted the scope and magnitude of such a building as there was a lengthy process prior to its establishment.

The centre was formed by the merger of two Manchester-based arts organisations, Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company. The project was funded by Manchester City Council, the Garfield Weston Foundation and Arts Council England. HOME operates under a service contract with Manchester City Council to provide social benefit to the community.

The Library Theatre occupied most of the basement of Manchester Central Library and was the home of the Library Theatre Company, a Manchester City Council service. The library was built in 1934 and the theatre was originally a lecture theatre that since 1952 had been used by the theatre company. From 2010, the Library Theatre Company began performing at The Lowry arts centre in Salford. From 2014, it began operating as part of HOME before moving into the arts centre in May 2015.

HOME is located on First Street – Manchester and occupies the following –

  • Two performance venues
  • A 500 seat theatre
  • 150 seat flexible studio space
  • Five cinema screens
  • Gallery space to display contemporary art
  • Café bar and restaurant

The centre is part of the development of a creative quarter in the city. The arts centre was designed by Mecanoo Architects based in Delft, Netherlands.

In 2019, HOME was one of the most popular attractions in Manchester with c. 900,000 visits, and Lonely Planet voted it one of the top 500 experiences in the UK ("one of Britain's best arts centres").In 2021, HOME was named in the top 10 of TimeOut's 50 Best Cinemas in the UK and Ireland.

For the latest information and bookings simply visit the following website link – https://homemcr.org/

HOME welcomes over 650,000 visits per year with an annual programme that typically features over 10,000 events including-

  • 6,500 cinema screenings
  • 350 theatre performances
  • 20 exhibitions
  • 3,500 sessions through engagement, participation and talent development

Why not make this house your HOME and continue to increase its popularity by either watching a film, attending a theatre show or viewing the latest exhibition. HOME remains one of Manchester’s go to places and the northern creative hubbub of all things cultural. It had an amazing transformation process thanks to the merging two Manchester based arts organisations and continues to be the highlight of a Mancunians working week. Visit it this weekend, you won’t be disappointed.

^Alex Ashworth CCG Content Creator