When Dutch architects OMA won the competition to design a major new arts venue for Manchester, they were given a brief to design a place where ‘anything could happen’. From the outset, the ambition was huge – to create a venue where artists could showcase large-scale ambitious works of a kind not seen anywhere else in the world.
On October 18, the £242 million Aviva Studio (formerly named the Factory) opened with a major show by film director Danny Boyle featuring 50 dancers, hip hop choreography by Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, music by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, and set design by Es Devlin. Five thousand tickets for the show were made available for £10 or less – part of an ongoing affordable pricing strategy aimed at ensuring the venue is accessible to as many people as possible.
It is more than £130 million over budget and four years late, but there is no doubt that this is a major cultural addition to the UK. Upcoming events include a nine day programme of music, circus, art and fashion developed by Manchester residents; a two night show by musician Johnny Marr; a retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book by director Robert Wilson and folk duo CocoRosie; and a feminist theatrical reimagining of the BBC’s Robin Redbreast created with actor Maxine Peake.
A truly flexible space
OMA have delivered a highly adaptable building with two main performance spaces – the 21m-high Warehouse space, with capacity for up to 5,000 people, and the Hall, which features a flexible stage and can house up to 1,600 seated or 2,000 standing. A moveable full-height acoustic wall can be used to further divide the spaces as needed, and the Warehouse and the Hall can also work together – showcased by Boyle’s Free Your Mind performance.
It has been designed to cater for a wide variety of activities, from intimate concerts to huge raves, small scale theatre performances to major immersive exhibitions.
“I’ve worked on numerous theatres and performance spaces, but none compare to this one in terms of what it offers to performers,” said OMA’s Ellen van Loon, who led the project. “This venue serves as a platform, unlocking the full potential of the performing arts. All too often, abandoned post-industrial buildings and neighbourhoods are erased from the map, and with them the creative scenes that once thrived within them. This building reinstates what was lost.”
Economic boost
The project received £99.05 million of government funding – the UK’s largest investment in a national cultural project since the opening of the Tate Modern in 2000 – as well as £7m National Lottery funding from Arts Council England. It has been estimated that the venue will support up to 1,500 new jobs and add £1.1 billion to the local economy in its first decade.
“This internationally-important venue, extraordinary in scale and ambition, will open up a world of possibilities for people in Manchester – inspiring creativity and nurturing careers in the arts,” said Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council. “It’s a unique venue, a real asset for the future which will stimulate minds and spirits as well as acting as a catalyst to economic growth and opportunities.”
