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Manchester School of Architecture showcases shard-like natural history museum and other student projects

architecture-design · 2026-06-05

The BA (Hons) Architecture programme at the Manchester School of Architecture displayed various student projects, including Benson Tsai's 'The Shards: A Natural History Museum in Cumbria,' which features a shard-like facade in St. Cuthbert's Garden Village. Isabel Beal presented 'A Common Playground,' a Live Well Centre located in Moston. Other notable works include 'The Univer[city] of Aggre[gates]' by Emin Huseynbayov, a dystopian accommodation megastructure; 'Crewe Heritage Centre, A Town for the People' by Holly Froggart; and 'Room to Loiter' by Catalina Cheptene. Additional projects are 'Vill-age: From Kitchen to Community' by Anish Shah, 'Aesthetic Escapism After the Collapse of Time' by Ece Karagöz, 'Museum of Decay' by Eva Lippett, 'Technological Integration Detail' by Zixuan Zhang, and '[after]LIFE' by Emir Hasanagovski. This school is a joint effort between Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester.

Key facts

  • The Manchester School of Architecture showcased student projects from its BA (Hons) Architecture programme.
  • Benson Tsai designed 'The Shards: A Natural History Museum in Cumbria' with a shard-like facade.
  • The museum is located in St. Cuthbert's Garden Village, northern Cumbria, and references volcanic heritage.
  • Isabel Beal's 'A Common Playground' is a Live Well Centre in Moston, Northeast Manchester, targeting 2030.
  • Emin Huseynbayov's 'The Univer[city] of Aggre[gates]' proposes a 500-metre steel-and-concrete student housing megastructure.
  • Catalina Cheptene's 'Room to Loiter' counters skyscraper development in Mayfield, Manchester, using rammed earth.
  • Anish Shah's 'Vill-age' offers co-housing for South-Asian individuals over 65 with social dining.
  • The school is jointly delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester.

Entities

Artists

  • Benson Tsai
  • Isabel Beal
  • Emin Huseynbayov
  • Holly Froggart
  • Catalina Cheptene
  • Anish Shah
  • Ece Karagöz
  • Eva Lippett
  • Zixuan Zhang
  • Emir Hasanagovski
  • Anna Gidman
  • Sam Holden
  • Curtis Martyn
  • David Johnson
  • Rob Hyde
  • Dan Newport
  • Johnathan Djabarouti
  • Mike Daniels
  • Neil Stevenson
  • Alberto Velazquez Yebenes
  • Dragana Opacic Wilkinson
  • Paul Robinson
  • Richard Morton
  • Lindsay Bush
  • Jo Hudson
  • Mike Burnell
  • Azreen Azlan
  • Victoria Adegoke
  • Lorenza Casini
  • Rosa Urbano Gutierrez
  • Ranbir Lal
  • Ray Lucas
  • Matt Ault
  • Neil Allen
  • Julie Fitzpatrick
  • Polly North
  • Charlie White
  • Guillermo Sanchez Sotes
  • Dan Renoso-Urmston
  • Stephen Walker
  • Kim Förster
  • Alan Lewis
  • Ewan Harrison
  • Leandro Minuchin
  • Gareth Puttock
  • Siobhan Barry

Institutions

  • Manchester School of Architecture
  • Manchester Metropolitan University
  • The University of Manchester
  • Dezeen

Locations

  • Manchester
  • United Kingdom
  • Moston
  • Northeast Manchester
  • Crewe
  • Mayfield
  • Medlock Valley
  • Cumbria
  • St. Cuthbert's Garden Village
  • northern Cumbria

Sources