Home, the new Manchester arts centre, is set to open this weekend with a series of events curated by oscar winning director Danny Boyle. The centre is an architectural marvel from the Dutch firm Mecanoo, which has been designed to reconcile the needs of the newly merged Cornerhouse cinema and visual arts centre, and the Library Theatre Company. The centre cost approximately £25 million, and has a shocking triangular form with rounded edges. The glazed exterior reflects the skies and surrounding buildings, and offers views inside the building itself to passers by.
Home, the new Manchester arts centre, is set to open with a Danny Boyle curated weekend
The centre comprises gallery, theatre and cinema spaces, and also uses the uniquely curved corners of the building to integrate functional rooms, essentially turning potential design issues into benefits. One such room is a cinema that has a curved back wall and screen. The space has been designed with an “Urban living room” vibe, which Mecanoo hope will instil a sense of warmth and intimacy.
The space is built around a main theatre, which is split into three sub levels of seating. Remarkably, the room has been designed so that non of the 500 seats in the space are more than 10 metres from the stage! The second floor, meanwhile, contains a 150-seat studio theatre space, and the third and fourth floors contain , which will host art installations and can be used as an open planned space or divided depending on the needs of each individual show.
The centre has been designed by Mecanoo to reconcile the needs of the newly merged Cornerhouse cinema and visual arts centre and Library Theatre Company
All of the spaces are connected by a central stairwell, which connects the various performance spaces to numerous bars and restaurants. It's been designed to draw people away from the performance areas to avoid disturbance and disruption. When the centre is fully operational, there will potentially by 30 screenings a day and up to four theatrical performances, so the staircase has been made wide and enclosed to deal with this. The staircase also has a ventilation function, which means it almost works like a chimney. In fact, the whole building has been designed to rely on mechanical ventilation. The first floor restaurant, meanwhile, has been designed to feel light and spacious while a roof terrace on the second floor gives a view onto the square below.
Home’s brand strategy and brand application has been designed by Creative Concern, whilst O Street has taken care of its visual identity. The main brand colour is a rusty red, which a Home spokeswoman said aims to “Reflect Manchester’s industry and Victorian buildings,” whilst also coming across as “Warm and inviting.” The primary palette of silver and grey, meanwhile, is incredibly flexible, which means the identity can grow and adapt, so, for example, if it was being used with a particular artist’s work it could match the colour they have used.
Home’s branding has been designed by Creative Concern, with a visual identity by O Street
Mecanoo architect and co-owner Francesco Veenstra, said of the venue: “The most important thing was to try and capture the essence of Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company. The new venue has literally become home so we really wanted to assimilate the identity of the people into a raw generous space. We’ve used wood, plywood, concrete and steel inside and it really feels like an artistic space where people are the most important thing.” Of the main theatre specifically, he added: “We’ve tried to create a different atmosphere to other theatres where the seats are always one colour. It’s given it more identity and will create a more lively experience for everyone, even the actor.”
