Co-op Live challenged Jump Studios to design its new HQ and experiential showroom in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, showcasing the design innovations and attention to detail that will make the new venue the world’s best music experience.
Jump Studios was commissioned to design the Co-op Live HQ & Sales Suite to facilitate the sale of 2,800 premium seats at Co-op Live, the new world-class, music-driven arena in Eastlands, Manchester.
The client’s brief was to create a space that was representative not just of the venue’s premium Jump Studios-designed hospitality facilities, but of arriving at an experience – capturing the excitement of the build-up to a concert or event.
Our design for the space was informed by the look and feel of the arena, showcasing the overall tone of the interiors, with the ceiling painted black and heavy acoustic drapes used to create partitions, creating a dark and atmospheric nightclub-style environment. With sustainability being a key driver for the Co-op Live project, all of the acoustic drapes, technology, ceiling panels, bespoke furniture, commissioned artwork, bar fittings and joinery used within the HQ will be reused in the final fit-out of the arena.
The design scheme creates a clear pathway, guiding visitors on a journey that begins in a high-end bar and lounge modelled on the arena’s proposed “Record Room” nightclub, which will be used to stage smaller-scale, more intimate gigs. Adjacent to this there is a lounge area with soft seating upholstered in rich leather and wall-mounted artwork by renowned Mancunian artist Stanley Chow.
The Manchester theme is carried through to the next space, where information boards are mounted on black scaffolding, outlining how Co-op Live will impact the community – creating jobs and generating money for local causes. A custom mural by graffiti artist Akse P19 pays tribute to the city’s storied history as a centre for music, depicting Manchester-based industry moguls Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, alongside Peter Saville, who designed record sleeves for the likes of Joy Division and New Order.
Continuing along the pathway, visitors will come to a screening room lined from floor to ceiling with acoustic foam. Here, atmospheric crowd shots and footage of concerts are projected onto the walls, and a large screen plays a video of iconic music concerts and sporting moments in Manchester, reinforcing the city’s importance as a national hub for culture.
Beyond the screening room is the model room, centred around a 1:250 scale model of the venue, with a seating area featuring a large ‘infinity mirror’, which will also feature in the venue’s premium ‘loge’ spaces. Next to the seating area is a large LED screen that plays computer-generated ‘fly-throughs’ of the arena. The housing for the screen is painted with a pink-blue wash that will also feature within the venue.
To emphasise the sense of the immersive experience embedded within the Co-op Live design, a final space is enclosed by drapes and features a large screen, which plays a video showcasing in detail the full range of nine hospitality products on offer at Co-op Live.
Co-op Live HQ & Sales Suite also incorporates two ‘closing rooms’ where sales negotiations will take place. These spaces have been designed to create a comfortable and informal atmosphere, and are lined with with iconic imagery by Mancunian photographer Kevin Cummins, featuring artists including Madonna and Oasis at Manchester’s famed Hacienda nightclub in the 1980s.
