Factory International by OMA and Ellen van Loon

Manchester is known worldwide for its music and art culture, including the popular Manchester International Festival. It continues to grow, but is finding fewer and fewer spaces that meet the requirements of the artworks. The new Factory International in the Aviva Studios building is intended to provide a remedy – read more here.

Manchester is rapidly developing into the new economic center of England. This means that more and more spaces for art and culture are disappearing. In order to continue organizing the Manchester International Festival, which was founded in 2007, the city council launched an architectural competition in 2015. The aim was to create a new type of venue for the Manchester International Festival. This is intended to host both art performances and exhibitions.

The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) with its managing partner Ellen van Loon has won the competition and designed a new building called Factory International. It reflects the industrial and creative side of Manchester. The concrete and corrugated metal facades stand out from the renovated warehouses and brick, as well as the new glass apartments and offices. This creates more diversity in the city’s new St. John’s district. The Factory International seems to float above Water Street and the arches of a 19th century railroad line. The decision to elevate the building creates a much-needed public space at street level. This also gives more space to the River Irwell, which was previously neglected between all the new buildings.

The Factory International by OMA and Ellen van Loon consists of two buildings. The Warehouse is the main event space, a large, 21-meter-high container with flexible use. It can be used as a single room, but can also be divided into two. Full-height movable partitions guarantee acoustic insulation. This allows productions of different sizes to take place. The technical network on the ceiling provides lighting, equipment and rigging for concerts and exhibitions. Up to 5,000 spectators can be seated at a concert in the Warehouse.

The second Factory International building is a hall with an auditorium that seats 1,600 and has a flexible stage. Operas, plays, music events and cross-arts events can be performed here. It is also possible to combine the Warehouse and the auditorium. The two rooms can be used together, creating a stage that can reach up to 45 meters in depth.

Factory International is currently still known as Aviva Studios. Construction work on the multi-purpose cultural venue was completed in October 2023. The building now serves as the permanent headquarters of Factory International. This organization is behind the biennial Manchester International Festival. Factory International is also planning a year-round program. The inauguration was marked by the premiere of “Free Your Mind”, a dramatic retelling of the science fiction classic “The Matrix”. The piece was written especially for the opening of Factory International at Aviva Studios.

The building covers a total of 13,350 square meters. As the first venue of its kind, it is absolutely flexible and versatile. This allows artists to break free from the constraints of conventional venues and experiment with new forms of expression. It is also special that such a venue is part of the city center thanks to advanced acoustics and soundproofing. Factory International is managed by Manchester City Council and funded by the British government and the National Lottery.

By the way: another exciting project in Manchester city center is the “Kampus” residential building by Mecanoo.