Originally built as the Deansgate Free Library, it subsequently served as the Castlefield Information Centre, before becoming the Manchester base for the Spanish language and cultural organisation, Instituto Cervantes.

[1] It now features some of the city's most notable buildings, from Manchester Cathedral at its northern end, to the Rylands Library, and the Beetham Tower at its southern termination in the Castlefield district.

The Instituto Cervantes building forms part of the street's late 19th century development and was designed by George Meek in 1882.

Joining the surveyors department of the Manchester Corporation as an draughtsman in 1872, he rose to become Chief Architectural assistant, in effect the city architect.

The official opening took place on 19 June 1997 featuring speeches by Raymond Carr, Tom Burns-Marañón and Mario Vargas Llosa.