Factory International

Project Scope

Factory International, Manchester’s landmark cultural venue provides state of the art flexible performance spaces that can be adapted to suit the brief. 

The bar areas, spread across three floors within the building, needed the same level of flexibility, to accommodate the huge variety of events that the building hosts.

The Problem

This project tested our engineering capabilities to the max and gave us a proper challenge – which we loved.

The building’s flexible nature means that the menus change frequently, both from day to evening, but also according to the nature of the event being held at the venue.

To coincide with the building’s opening in 2023, a temporary solution for the 23m long bar area was manufactured, providing simple plywood hanging signs to display the food and drink for sale.

But while it was the right interim solution, it didn’t give the client the long-term fix it needed: panels eventually warped due to air conditioning and they also needed storing somewhere when not in use.

A permanent, flexible solution was needed.

The Solution

We worked closely with Factory International and wayfinding expert Placemarque to devise a unique rotating design for the main, ground floor bar, providing 11 separate menu boards fixed onto a scaffold frame.

The rotating signs can be used to either display alternative menus for day and evening but also can clearly block off areas of the vast bar as either open or closed, depending on the event.

The 11 back panels are fixed into place within the scaffold frame using a female base plate that rotates, and vinyl graphics are overlaid with the latest information. When information needs updating, these can be peeled off and new graphics added within 48 hours.

On the upper floors, we grappled with an engineering conundrum: working with the engineers, we devised a bespoke steel frame that could fix to the steels in the ceiling, and used magnets to give these signs the same flexibility.

Some boards also incorporate traditional bulldog clips, allowing for temporary special items or promotions to be affixed onto the boards, too.

This bespoke solution also required detailed collaboration with structural engineers to ensure that the fixtures could withstand the horizontal pressure that is applied when the signs are turned over.

The Benefits

The original signs didn’t allow for real changeability, but the latest scheme offers the client genuine flexibility, through magnets or rotating systems, for a whole new set of signs to be up and running within 48 hours.

The use of vinyl graphics is not only easy to peel off and fix on, but also side steps the problem of where to store bulky signs that are not in use. And it’s the most sustainable response to material use and wastage, too.

It won’t damage the back panel and allows staff to easily make price changes or promote items relating to one-off special events.

Ultimately, the solution has ensured that the bar area is just as flexibles as the rest of the building.

“We knew our design concept was a tricky brief, but SPI rose to the challenge of creating bespoke menu signage for all three bars at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International. The team really stepped up to deliver what we needed; combining creativity and technical ability to meet our vision. We’ve now got multiple different sign solutions that complement our bold interior design and also work for us practically for different event formats. The team is responsive, solution focused and are good people to work with.”

Nadia Balfe, Project Manager, Aviva Studios