manchester approves OMA-designed 'factory' cultural venue

manchester city council has granted planning approval for ‘factory’, a flagship cultural venue designed by OMA. new images of the project have been released to coincide with the announcement. the scheme, which was first unveiled in november 2015, will be located on the site of the former granada TV studios in the english city’s st. john’s neighborhood. construction is set to get underway in spring 2017.

all images © OMA, courtesy factory manchester

the project is OMA’s first major public building in the UK and is led by partners ellen van loon and rem koolhaas. ‘factory’ will be operated by manchester international festival (MIF), who will also continue to deliver the festival every two years. the venue will offer visitors a broad range of art forms and cultural experiences — including dance, theater, opera, visual arts, and spoken word.

the scheme will be located on the site of the city’s former granada TV studios

intended to accelerate economic growth in the region, it is imagined that ‘factory’ will either create or support almost 1,500 full-time jobs and add £1.1 billion to the city’s economy over a decade. the scheme also seeks to reduce the dependency on london as the main provider of creative industries training and employment in the UK.

the project is OMA’s first major public building in the UK

‘from classical opera and ballet to large scale performances and experimental productions, factory in manchester provides the perfect opportunity to create the ultimate versatile space in which art, theater and music come together: a platform for a new cultural scene,’ says ellen van loon, partner at OMA.

the venue will offer visitors a broad range of art forms and cultural experiences

‘this is a great show of confidence in the cultural future of the north,’ adds tom bloxham, chairman of manchester international festival. ‘in just five festivals manchester international festival has established itself as one of the major international arts festivals, and we are delighted to now be able to add to the city’s and the country’s cultural offer all year round through our programming at factory.’

dance, theater, and opera will all be made available to the public