She prioritised flexibility in the space to allow artists to conceive of works that know few limitations. This utilitarian approach is part of why OMA was selected for the project, specifically because theirs was the only design proposal that connected the theatre to the warehouse. “For us, it was the most logical thing,” says Van Loon, referring to how the different spaces can be used separately or as conjoined spaces. “This way, it’s not one plus one equals two. It’s more like one plus one equals five.”

The warehouse in particular elicits awe-filled reactions. Over 21 metres high—that’s roughly four 216 double-decker buses stacked on top of one another—the space is long and wide, and can fit up to 5,000 people standing. Whether it’s a concert, fashion show or exhibition, the space can accommodate an artist’s wildest visions. Another impressive feature is the safely accessible technical grid that runs across the ceiling, and from which artworks and props can be suspended. “If you want to hang 200 cars from the ceiling, you can,” says Low, adding that the space is as exciting for technicians and production crews as it is for the creators of artworks. “It’s like a wet dream for technical and production people working on these projects.” The space soft-opened this past June with Yayoi Kusama’s large custom-made installations this past summer for her exhibition You, Me and the Balloons.

The second design tenet was the importance of accessibility, both physical and conceptual. This was reflected, for example, by building unusually steep theatre seating in the two-tiered balcony hall, which created optimal sight lines and an incredibly intimate atmosphere, thus breaking down the barrier between performers and audiences. Most notably, she added translucent glass to the dressing room walls, so that from outside you can see the shadows of performers within, blurring the line between them and the visitors. “Of course, you can’t see they’re naked or anything, but it’s so beautiful and different, to have a glimpse of that for the public,” says Van Loon.

The scale of the space and versatility of the venue allow for a blend of high culture and mainstream works, facilitating programming that could provide an accessible and perhaps more appealing entry point into niche art forms. Low recently gave a tour of the warehouse to a famous footballer, whose name he couldn’t disclose, who has signed on to do a visual art collaboration for 2025. “Every time artists come in and see the space, they’re like, ‘When can we start?’ [Aviva Studios is] about creating something that other people have not seen before, and really redefine experiencing art.” 

Exporting these experiences is also significant; programming extends to international audiences. Many shows are conceived for the Manchester space, but will go on to be exhibited at partner institutions around the world. Founded in 2007, MIF’s main function was to bring the best international shows to local audiences in Manchester. It operated as a nomadic pop-up before it found a home at Aviva Studios. It now operates under the banner of Factory International, which boasts an audience of 1.8 million people in 33 cities across six continents. When Tatler spoke to Low in October, he said that Factory International had an ongoing project, Atmospheric Memory, in Sydney, as well as Tao of Glass, an opera, in Hong Kong, as part of the New Vision Festival. “At any given time, one of our shows is being held around the world,” says Low. “International collaboration is critical; it’s important to have dialogue and the conversations in different cultural contexts, and see how the work can and does adapt.”

The organisers of Factory International are striving to retain this sense of globalism in its future programming by staging shows such as an interactive symphony by Chinese composer Huang Ro and the BBC Philharmonic, as well as a performance combining Chinese and Indian dance, data and video by artist Keith Khan, both in the summer of 2024.

While there are always challenges in bridging niche arts with mainstream audiences in places where cultural infrastructure is still developing, there are reasons to be optimistic about Factory International and Aviva’s success—the venue was built with younger generations in mind. “An investment of this scale is really made for future generations,” says Van Loon. “There is a special energy in Manchester, carried by a lot of Mancunians who have a very strong drive to constantly invent, reinvent, question and push boundaries. I think the whole population has that in its genes.”

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