the haçienda (fac 51 haçienda) was a nightclub
and music venue located in the centre of manchester,
UK, which opened in 1982 and survived until 1997.
the club was the physical representation of the
factory record label - being ideated by factory boss
anthony wilson, rob gretton and the band new order.
the club's name came from a slogan of the radical group
'situationist international'. the line 'the haçienda must be built',
can be found in ivan chtcheglov’s formulary for a
new urbanism.

during its fifteen year life-span the club experienced
many highs and lows. on one hand it is remembered
for its benchmark concerts from the likes of the smiths,
orchestral manoeuvres in the dark, echo and the
bunnymen, the happy mondays, james, and
madonna's first ever performance in the UK. around
the late 1980s it popularised the house music craze
and the early rave scene in europe.
by the early 90s, the haçienda had become 'world
famous' on the club scene but was forced to close in
1997, by which time it had become better known for
drug gangs and their power struggles. the building
where the club once stood has since been destroyed
and replaced by a block of luxury apartments.

cultural heritage
its darker days aside the club's importance to
manchester's cultural heritage remains. not only because
of its musical attributes but also its bold visual identity
- which is celebrated for the next seven months at urbis.

the show offers visitors the chance to revisit
the haçienda and uncover some of the ideals and ideas
behind its conception, as told by many of the creative
minds that made it what it was. the experiences of
peter saville, peter hook (new order), tony wilson,
ben kelly and rob gretton share there experiences
through their own stories and personal collections.

interior design by ben kelly
neither a venue nor a disco, the haçienda 'was a real-life
stage-set, built with the most mundane of materials used
to maximum effect.'

kelly was recommended to the owners of factory by its
art director, peter saville. his biggest project at the time
kelly used his processes and materials-led approach to
create a three-dimensional version of factory records’
visual language.

working to the breif he had been set 'big bar, small bar,
food, stage, dance-floor, balcony, and a cocktail bar
in the basement' the designer transformed the former
yachting showroom into what was later lauded as the
'worlds best night-club'. walls were painted in blue and
grey tones to create a cool airy space. the emphasis of
the structural elements was 'diagonal and vertical' with
brightly clad supports. steel girders of black and yellow
safety stripes reiterated the graphic style of saville.

warning markings and diagonal markings created an
inside/outside tension. bollards and cats-eyes
were brought in to delineate the dance-floor 'a city within
a city, of pathways, plazas and bars'. each zone's ethos
created by its in habitants and their use of the space.

'it’s very fitting that international orange was used in
the haçienda as it’s an active, creative and exhuberant
color, between the passion of red and the mental stimulation
of yellow. orange is full of energy and will always be used
to promote vibrant optimism.' - ben kelly

the interior of the haçienda not only sent shock waves
through the club scene but also through the design fields.
its effect on the local landscape greater felt than anywhere
else. one aspect explored by the exhibition ‘haçienda 25’
is the impact the club had in shaping the economic and
urban development of manchester's city centre into what
it is today.

legacy
considering the basis for kelly's interior was the graphic
style of the factory brand it is hardly surprising that the
clubs identity was equally as striking. peter saville was
instrumental in developing the club's early image,
creating imagery which now defines the dance genre:
glowing objects, neon colors and modernist typefaces
to boot. over the years the clubs birthday posters became
synonymous with the best party in the country. several
of the designs for which, were completed by the ‘forward
thinking’ design collective 8vo. in retrospect it’s clear to
see how heavily the haçienda's style influened and ultimately
became coherent with the visual culture of the late 1980's
and early 90's world wide.

related links:

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ben kelly design

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peter saville associates

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FAC51-Y3 limited edition trainer