Aviva Studios

Manchester, UK

A contemporary centre for music and performance in Manchester.

Watch for an in-depth look at the design of Aviva Studios where you hear from Charcoalblue's project team, as well as John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International.

Aviva Studios, programmed and operated by Factory International, is a new large-scale venue that captures the extraordinary creative vision of the Manchester International Festival (MIF) and is one of Europe’s most ambitious and adventurous year-round creative programmes.

Part of a wider local cultural development masterplan, Aviva Studios is a seismic catalyst for beneficial economic and social change in the region. The building is designed with flexibility at its core and comprises independent performance spaces that can be joined together for events hosting up to 7,000 guests.

Photo by Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy of OMA and Factory International

“... the ultimate versatile space in which art, theatre and music come together: a platform for a new cultural scene”

Ellen van Loon, Partner, OMA

Photo by Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy of OMA and Factory International

Photo by Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy of OMA and Factory International

Collaborating with OMA, we are designing the new adaptable 1,600-seat auditorium and 5,000 standing capacity warehouse for festival events and productions, using virtual reality to visualise the spaces and assist with the sightline analysis. All the technical systems are designed to be ultra-flexible, allowing users to create work with as few technical restrictions as possible – the warehouse alone can hang 200 tons of scenery and equipment. The technical infrastructure is based around a system of fibre networks to maximise flexibility and data transfer rates whilst coping with the large distances involved in this venue.

Photo by Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy of OMA and Factory International

Project Details

Client

Manchester City Council

Architect

OMA

Cost

Confidential

Completion

October 2023

Photo by Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy of OMA and Factory International

Jenni Harris

Want to know more, speak to Jenni

+44 (0)20 7928 0000

Supporting the industry internationally since 2004

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise: International Trade 2020 UK Theatre Tonic Theatre Communications Group Carbon Literate Orginisation - Silver
Jenni Harris

Want to know more, speak to Jenni

Contact Jenni

+44 (0)20 7928 0000