For
Factory International
What is it
A dynamic, on-brand, menu solution, delivering essential flexibility for this busy client.
Image credit: Factory International / Mark Waugh
Project Scope
Factory International, Manchester’s landmark cultural venue provides state of the art flexibly performance spaces that can be adapted to suit the brief.
The bar area, within the building’s main entrance hall, needed the same level of flexibility, to accommodate the huge variety of events that the building hosts.
The Problem
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 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.
Some boards also incorporate traditional bulldog clips, allowing for temporary special items or promotions can easily 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 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.
