CUBE Director resigns as centre prepares to close

20 Apr 2005

Graeme Russell (right), director of CUBE, will be leaving in May of this year. He tendered his resignation last November, but it has not been officially announced until now.
Russell has been CUBE’s director since it opened in November 1998. In its six-and-a-half years of operation, CUBE established itself as one of the UK’s most exciting and dynamic architecture and design centres. Its exhibitions, education programme and website activities have consistently won plaudits from the professions and public alike. CUBE has often brought UK firsts to Manchester, such as A New World Trade Center Design Proposals; Erich Mendelsohn, Dynamics and Function; and 100 Years 100 Chairs. Russell said: “In essence, my vision for CUBE was to articulate architecture and design as a cultural phenomenon; to explore architecture in all its cultural diversity and how it interrelates with other visual arts disciplines. This, I believe, is fundamental if we are to connect, excite and inspire people from a wide range of audiences. But this programme of work, ironically the basis of our Arts Council Lottery funding, is now I believe unsustainable within the current funding climate. For this reason, it’s time to move on. I intend to have a few months off before I start to explore new projects.”
CUBE’s future is now being determined by a number of interested parties, including the Architecture Centre Network, facilitated by De Facto, an independent management consultancy.

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