The Church of St Francis, Gorton Monastery, is situated in mixed industrial and residential area in east Manchester. This Roman Catholic church is built on the scale of a cathedral and has been called 'Manchester's Taj Mahal'. It was vacated in the 1980s and soon became a building at risk. It was later given World Monument status. Today the building is undergoing complete restoration and is set to re-emerge as a multi-use conference and educational centre.