The scheme comprised in part, the conversion of the ground floor and basement of a Victorian building fronting the street. The scope of works also included the fitting out of commercial space to the rear, that was part of a new mixed use development offering a focus for Chinese arts for Manchester’s significant concentration of people of Chinese descent, as well as Chinese culture nationally.

A 'shop window' offering views from the street of the reception, shop and tea room immediately draws the public into the building. There are glimpses of other spaces through horizontal glazed slots between the various rooms within the building.

The entrance provides access to the well-proportioned gallery space to the rear, to the raised offices for the half dozen staff and to the small library and resident artists’ spaces to the side. These spaces comprise a performance area with a window to the street and, via a stepladder, sleeping accommodation for the artist.

Nearby is a small kitchen and library for general use during the day, but available just for the artist-in-residence in the evenings. In the basement are toilets and a meeting space. Vertical access to all levels is provided by a central lift.

The scheme ’jigsaws‘ these various spaces together cleanly into a compact scheme that makes use of all available space. Access and security are good: the shop, tea area and gallery are overlooked by the offices through horizontal slot windows, meaning that invigilators are not needed in the gallery, a cost the centre could not have afforded. Rear access to the gallery is provided, meaning that the open space to the rear of the centre could be used for performances.

A good contractor and architect relationship was established from the outset and was notable for the active and continuous presence of a highly committed client representative, who brought an intimate understanding of the client’s business and who was also willing to learn about construction. Considerable research and sheer legwork was used to provide a clear brief, albeit one which evolved iteratively as a result of close interaction between the client, designer and construction team over an extended period with the added input of a wide range of targeted stakeholder consultations.

The centre has been well-received by its staff, artists and clients. The facilities have proved flexible and have been intensively used, resulting in an RIBA award for design excellence.