By Neil Sowerby
THERE were a few sore heads after the Cornerhouse’s closing bash, but the tears are drying and it’s time look forward to its replacement, HOME, which officially pens on May 21.
Cinema, art and the Library Theatre will come together in the custom-built new home, which, in art-speak, descrines itself as ‘for curiosity seekers, for lovers of the dramatic, the digital and the deeply engaging; for radicals and reciprocators.’
And what about feeding the inner man – the gourmet and the gourmand? HOME’s fledgling website says there will be ‘three great spaces’ for food and drink, which will offer a menu very similar to the current Cornerhouse café offer.
“The ground floor bar seats about 150 and includes an outdoor seating area for all those sunny Manchester days! The first floor Cafebar will seat between 170 -200, making it very similar in size to the Cornerhouse café bar. Up on the third floor there will be a small bar area where you can grab a drink before the film.”
So staying with the tried and tested or an opportunity lost? When the Whitworth reopened it restored Peter Booth’s Modern Pantry as the caterer, albeit on a larger scale. But then in its previous casual incarnation it had merited mentions in the Good Food Guide.
In contrast, the Cornerhouse’s stone-baked pizzas and lamb burgers, veggie specials and cakes were standard fodder in what has essentially been one of Manchester’s great meeting points. It was good to see the drinks offering improving – notably the presence of three ales from Bury’s Outstanding – in competition with craftier new bars all around. I just hope to see more of our new breweries given a show. No need to ramp up the coffee – that was always a plus.
Still, a classy restaurant on site, not uncommon among London’s galleries/arts complexes, would have been a plus. Maybe, the ultimate failure of the Le Mont/Modern space at the top of Urbis, suggested that fine dining and museum culture don’t mix in Manchester.
HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, First Street, Manchester M15 4FN. http://homemcr.org
