New Century

New Century Hall is an absolute Manchester gem of a building that has been hiding in plain sight for decades. Opened in 1963, the building originally served as the canteen, conference center, and recreation lounge for the newly built office ‘skyscrapers’—New Century House and the CIS Tower—developed by the Co-Operative Group.

In the evenings, the hall transformed into a music venue as pop music and youth culture exploded across the region. It hosted performances by rising stars such as The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, and Jimi Hendrix.

This architectural development was a showcase of cutting-edge modern design, drawing inspiration from Mies van der Rohe’s work in New York and Chicago. Today, its significance is recognised through its Grade II listing.

The first time we discovered what the building had to offer was while working on Federation House across Sadler's Yard, when we were given a tour. We were in awe of the hall’s beautiful original features—the wood paneling, sculptural details, sprung dance floor, and, of course, the stunning ‘disco’ ceiling fixture. Even more exciting, beneath the hall were two additional floors—blank canvases waiting to be brought to life.

We began to hatch a plan, bringing together a group of like-minded partners with expertise in music, education, hospitality, and property. United by a shared passion, we set out to reinvent the space and shape a vision for its future.

Our goal was to create a dynamic, three-floor creative ecosystem. The hall would be revived as a contemporary events venue, complemented by a food hall and bar at ground level, with a creative college in the basement. At its core, our vision was about nurturing future talent—giving the next generation of musicians, producers, and stagecraft professionals hands-on experience in a real, working venue.

Architects Sheppard Robson were brought on board and together with structural engineer Healey Consulting and contractor Russell WHBO, began the sensitive restoration works necessary to bring this Grade II listed structure up to date. Further enabling works to link the 3 floors together and link the building to its surrounding neighbourhood were implemented to hand over a shell and core that was fit for purpose, so we could get to work and deliver our vision for the building you see today.

Starting with the ground floor, we teamed up with the hospitality experts in our partnership to transform what was once a bare concrete shell into a dynamic, mixed-use social space that offers a varied rich adn varied food and drink experience.

New Century Kitchen was conceived as a food hall concept with a central bar at its heart, creating a space that not only delivers a diverse range of options for customers but also provides a platform for emerging, locally curated culinary talent to establish and grow their brands.

Our design strategy was driven by the desire to strengthen the visual connection with the hall upstairs, drawing inspiration from its mid-century modern cues. We introduced ribbed timber wall panels and rich hardwood detailing to contrast with and warm up the concrete, while plush velvet and corduroy fabrics in earthy tones softened the atmosphere, dressing seating booths and loose furniture with inviting textures.

A key consideration was highlighting the original concrete shell and waffle ceilings, ensuring they became a focal point of the design. In collaboration with lighting specialists ArtIn Light, we developed a strategy that would celebrate the building's original structure while allowing the space to seamlessly transition from day to night, creating distinct moods. The flexible, highly configurable lighting system installed can effortlessly shift the atmosphere, from intimate to lively, with the flick of a switch.

To further enhance the experience, we indulged our love of music by partnering with OpenEar Music to create a dynamic, curated playlist that evolves throughout the day, week, and month, perfectly complementing the space's ever-changing vibe.

Downstairs in the basement, we designed a space specifically for the creative college. Although connected to New Century, this area is a separate tenanted unit, tailored to meet the specialized needs of the college, dBs Institute, a leading provider of further education in music and technology.

The basement houses classrooms, rehearsal rooms, and a series of state-of-the-art recording studios, all clustered around a communal breakout area for students. dBs Institute offers courses in stagecraft, music production, technology, and game design, and being located at New Century places students right at the heart of the action.