The King’s Manor, owned by City of York Council and leased to the University of York, is the university’s most costly building to maintain.

To ensure its long-term sustainability, the university proposed housing XR Stories, a £15 million arts initiative funded by the AHRC, University of York, BFI, and Screen Yorkshire.

XR Stories focuses on advancing immersive and interactive technologies for digital storytelling. The project involved creating new teaching, meeting, and workspaces, as well as display and exhibition areas.

Consideration was given to enhancing public access to the building, including relocating the commercial kitchen and canteen to improve visitor flow.