Factory Manchester
In January 2017, Manchester City Council granted planning permission to Factory, a flagship cultural venue for the North of England.
The building has been designed by Rem Koolhaas’ architectural practice Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), and will be their first major public building in the UK.
Factory is intended to be a groundbreaking new venue that forms part of the vibrant new St. John’s neighbourhood currently being developed by Allied London on the site of the former Granada TV Studios.
Manchester International Festival (MIF) will operate Factory, which will offer the broadest range of art forms and cultural experiences, including dance, theatre, music, opera, visual arts, spoken word, popular culture, and so on. Artists from around the world will be invited to create new work in the building.
It is anticipated that Factory will accelerate economic growth in the region, create or support almost 1,500 full-time jobs, and add £1.1 billion to the city’s economy over a decade.
It is hoped that it will reduce the dependency on London as the provider of creative industries training and employment. It will develop partnerships with the city’s leading higher education institutions and will further support the city’s drive for high-calibre graduate talent retention through job creation.
Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital & Culture said: “I want to blast open access to the very best world-class art and culture we have to offer in this country. So we're investing £78 million into Factory in Manchester that will provide a further boost to the brilliant arts, culture and technology scene in the North. On top of that, it will also help local tourism, generate jobs and provide training opportunities for the next generation of British creatives.”
Tom Bloxham, Chairman, Manchester International Festival (MIF) said: "This is a great show of confidence in the cultural future of the North. 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.”
Construction is due to begin in Spring 2017, and completion is expected in 2019.
Images © OMA.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Building of the week series.
- CCTV Headquarters.
- China Philharmonic Hall.
- London Design Museum.
- Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
- National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing.
- Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum.
- Our Town Hall, Manchester.
- Property development and music.
- Sage Gateshead.
- Trinity Islands, Manchester.
Featured articles and news
C20 Society; Buildings at Risk List 2025
10 more buildings published with updates on the past decade of buildings featured.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation, closing 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
From project managers to rising stars, sustainability pioneers and more.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.