MET will be a unique temporary mobile structure which will host arts, cultural and community events in the city. Its key design aim is to create a covered events space for Preston that can be easily moved and assembled at various locations in and around the city while remaining flexible to allow for a diverse range of art forms and activities.

It will be important piece of community cultural infrastructure and will play a key role in continuing provision of cultural events and attractions in the city centre while Preston recovers from the pandemic.

The MET project has been developed by In Certain Places in partnership with Preston City Council and the Preston Partnership.

It will continue the tradition of Preston as somewhere that is the first to test new physical and architectural structures and follows on from ICP’s previous projects, such as the Harris Flights and The People’s Canopy in exploring our research interest in using temporary architectural interventions to create spaces for cultural use.

MET has been designed by project architect Charlie MacKeith of Research Design, while visual artist Jenny Steele has been appointed to create a magical interior that reflects Preston’s diverse cultural heritage. Preston City Council’s events team will play a key role in programming the space.

Image credit 121_MET_View_1 © CM RDA 2021. Charlie MacKeith