Gold, red and blue....

This was my attempt at taking an arty picture. All the new buildings along 1st Street that have been under construction are opening up. Manchester's new arts complex, HOME, that is replacing the Library Theatre and the much loved and already missed Cornerhouse cinema and gallery space, is partially opened. When I popped in for a quick look they were still working on parts of the building. There's a lot of unvarnished wood and exposed concrete, I'm a fan of neither. We shall see.

The huge new multi-storey car park building has been hidden behind a golden brise soleil (they are everywhere these days). At night it is lit up with moving images which look fun and at least distract you from the fact that the building is a car park.

The most distinctive building, or striking at least, is the new Innside Hotel, an import from Spain. With its bright red cladding, it certainly can't be ignored. But, against the bright blue of a Manchester sky and with the gold gymnast statue in front, I thought it made a good picture.