OMA remixes plans for Manchester’s Factory venue
By Jim Dunton2018-05-24T06:00:00
New application reduces theatre seating but boosts commercial space for £110m arts complex
Rem Koolhaas’ practice OMA has submitted revised proposals for the landmark Manchester arts venue that it designed for the city council on part of the former Granada TV Studios site.
Its original proposals for the £110m The Factory venue, named after the city’s legendary Factory Records label – home to Joy Division/New Order, Happy Mondays and others – cleared planning in January last year.
But a new application drops the seating capacity of the development’s theatre element, changing the shape of its vinyl-clad exterior in the process; boosts the size of the venue’s orchestra pit; and increases the scheme’s overall commercial element.