Arts Factory Manchester | OMA

Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) has won the competition to design the new ” Arts Factory ” in Manchester, a creative village and art center, aiming to bring the nation’s cultural heritage to the limelight.

The venue has a capacity of 2,200 seats, whereas it can open up and create space for 5,000 people. The space allocated will offer variety of activities including art forms and performances, at the same time the structure will be legible to host the Manchester International Festival.

Courtesy of Factory Manchester

The British government has pledged to spend £78 million ($117 million) for the project, with an annual increase of £9 million around 2018. Details about the proposal are very thin, with just a few renderings which show the complete structure of the building.

The structure is going be mainly a bold cube shape, with glass panels cladded all around it. The actual building of the structure is expected to start in 2016, while finishing by 2019.

Courtesy of Factory Manchester

Rem Koolhaas quoted “it is wonderful to participate in the longstanding renaissance of the city, and particularly the Manchester International Festival, where real experimentation is expected.”