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| What makes a creative city? | What makes a creative city? |
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| Rem Koolhaas and Ellen van Loon of OMA architecture practice are in conversation at the Manchester International festival, talking about the major contract they landed for the Manchester arts centre Factory: a hub for cultural activity and soon to be home of the Manchester festival. “We need to give more attention to the technology of buildings, robotics, new spatial management,” Koolhaas says. I feel the bristling of the humans in the room. | Rem Koolhaas and Ellen van Loon of OMA architecture practice are in conversation at the Manchester International festival, talking about the major contract they landed for the Manchester arts centre Factory: a hub for cultural activity and soon to be home of the Manchester festival. “We need to give more attention to the technology of buildings, robotics, new spatial management,” Koolhaas says. I feel the bristling of the humans in the room. |
| But he is on to something. Space is often wasted by use of repetition but with canny robotics, and snuggled pullies, you can enfold and stack space that was once elongated and create something new from it – in the case of the proposed Factory, a rationalised chaos of adjustable use and activity. | But he is on to something. Space is often wasted by use of repetition but with canny robotics, and snuggled pullies, you can enfold and stack space that was once elongated and create something new from it – in the case of the proposed Factory, a rationalised chaos of adjustable use and activity. |
| So what will the culture houses of the future look like, if we think outside the box? What uses will they need to fulfil? How will big ideas – like those for Factory – play out in real life? And what can cities do to encourage cultural experiments and investment? | So what will the culture houses of the future look like, if we think outside the box? What uses will they need to fulfil? How will big ideas – like those for Factory – play out in real life? And what can cities do to encourage cultural experiments and investment? |
| Koolhaas and van Loon want a theatre with 60m of depth that extends out into and merges with the street. As an artistic director, I worry about the performance scale of a hanger space like this and how it will dwarf the humans on stage. I fret about sound bleeds too. But in the future, they offer, there will be invisible sound bubbles and a kind of aural architecture; sound might one day be stilled, collected and quarantined from itself. We have the technology – or at least we will. | Koolhaas and van Loon want a theatre with 60m of depth that extends out into and merges with the street. As an artistic director, I worry about the performance scale of a hanger space like this and how it will dwarf the humans on stage. I fret about sound bleeds too. But in the future, they offer, there will be invisible sound bubbles and a kind of aural architecture; sound might one day be stilled, collected and quarantined from itself. We have the technology – or at least we will. |
| At an investment of £110m, Factory is not a shy project. Like the city it is responding to and planning for, it implies a cultural confidence, a bit of a bolshie sense of taking it up to the big smoke of London. Manchester, once grubby, depressed and down, has been on the up and up for some time. The role of culture in this upswing is interesting to think about. | At an investment of £110m, Factory is not a shy project. Like the city it is responding to and planning for, it implies a cultural confidence, a bit of a bolshie sense of taking it up to the big smoke of London. Manchester, once grubby, depressed and down, has been on the up and up for some time. The role of culture in this upswing is interesting to think about. |
| Culture has become a boom for numerous cities who have bought into the regeneration narrative led by urbanists such as Graeme Evans and Susan Carmichael – the idea that culture plays a leading role in revitalising community and urban spaces. Not long after Evans and Carmichael’s ideas were floated, cities – particularly smart cities, with a young vibe – began to enthusiastically embrace the thoughts of other gurus, such as Richard Florida’s concept of creative cities. | Culture has become a boom for numerous cities who have bought into the regeneration narrative led by urbanists such as Graeme Evans and Susan Carmichael – the idea that culture plays a leading role in revitalising community and urban spaces. Not long after Evans and Carmichael’s ideas were floated, cities – particularly smart cities, with a young vibe – began to enthusiastically embrace the thoughts of other gurus, such as Richard Florida’s concept of creative cities. |
| People who live in or visit these cities are not, Florida suggests, especially interested in dusty cultural institutions – high-profile art galleries, operas and such. They prefer to meander about in districts characterised by warehouses, and the hole-in-the-wall operations of nascent pop-up culture – cafes, start-up galleries – which themselves breed the next gen of outlets: bookshops, grassroots and recycle boutiques. | People who live in or visit these cities are not, Florida suggests, especially interested in dusty cultural institutions – high-profile art galleries, operas and such. They prefer to meander about in districts characterised by warehouses, and the hole-in-the-wall operations of nascent pop-up culture – cafes, start-up galleries – which themselves breed the next gen of outlets: bookshops, grassroots and recycle boutiques. |
| Manchester is such a place. Dormant warehouse space, old depots, factories and abandoned TV studios have been lying fallow, awaiting their moment, ready to be metabolised into the kind of space – a “multiplace” – Koolhaas and van Loon have been inspired to create. The time of regeneration has come, led by the interest created by the Manchester International festival, a vibrant music and alternative scene and, of course, Queer Up North, which made Manchester seem lovably cool and tolerant. Oh, and the city houses a hefty number of millionaires too. | Manchester is such a place. Dormant warehouse space, old depots, factories and abandoned TV studios have been lying fallow, awaiting their moment, ready to be metabolised into the kind of space – a “multiplace” – Koolhaas and van Loon have been inspired to create. The time of regeneration has come, led by the interest created by the Manchester International festival, a vibrant music and alternative scene and, of course, Queer Up North, which made Manchester seem lovably cool and tolerant. Oh, and the city houses a hefty number of millionaires too. |
| Is it any wonder then that cities are busting their bid books to gain the title of “European Capital of Culture”? The scheme was initiated by the EU to foster cross-European cultural connections but it has actually become a project stimulating tourism for undiscovered destination cities. | Is it any wonder then that cities are busting their bid books to gain the title of “European Capital of Culture”? The scheme was initiated by the EU to foster cross-European cultural connections but it has actually become a project stimulating tourism for undiscovered destination cities. |
| In Britain, even in the gloom of the Brexit shadow, no less than six cities are bidding for the title this year: new town Milton Keynes; Nottingham; Highland fling town Dundee; King and Law town Leeds; and the coalition of the willing Irish group Belfast/Derry and Strabane. | In Britain, even in the gloom of the Brexit shadow, no less than six cities are bidding for the title this year: new town Milton Keynes; Nottingham; Highland fling town Dundee; King and Law town Leeds; and the coalition of the willing Irish group Belfast/Derry and Strabane. |
| If you ask cities why they want to bid to become European Capital of Culture, the quick answer will be to enhance tourism, profile and business. The truth is the legacy of being an ECoC goes well beyond those market concerns. It’s not only about new infrastructure, urban regenerations and redistributions, it’s about creating a socially relevant, resilient, sustainable and equitable future-proofed culture. | If you ask cities why they want to bid to become European Capital of Culture, the quick answer will be to enhance tourism, profile and business. The truth is the legacy of being an ECoC goes well beyond those market concerns. It’s not only about new infrastructure, urban regenerations and redistributions, it’s about creating a socially relevant, resilient, sustainable and equitable future-proofed culture. |
| And it works. The program represented a boon to Glasgow and Liverpool in 1990 and 2008 respectively, so much so that the Brits created their own: Hull is currently the “UK City of Culture”, in the local initiative’s third iteration, and the city that rhymes with “dull” has finally made it on to the BBC weather map. Hull is having a great year, as is Aarhus and its sister European Capital of Culture, Paphos in Cyprus. | And it works. The program represented a boon to Glasgow and Liverpool in 1990 and 2008 respectively, so much so that the Brits created their own: Hull is currently the “UK City of Culture”, in the local initiative’s third iteration, and the city that rhymes with “dull” has finally made it on to the BBC weather map. Hull is having a great year, as is Aarhus and its sister European Capital of Culture, Paphos in Cyprus. |
| When Aarhus put its bid in, its citizens said they wanted a year that would make a difference. A year that would create new ways of thinking and bring a clear focus to the ingenuity that comes from a creative mindset. | When Aarhus put its bid in, its citizens said they wanted a year that would make a difference. A year that would create new ways of thinking and bring a clear focus to the ingenuity that comes from a creative mindset. |
| As a result, our year is putting emphasis on projects and creating opportunities for organisations to make their dream works, think large and long, and bring local practitioners together with international peers to ensure a greater cross-pollination of ideas. | As a result, our year is putting emphasis on projects and creating opportunities for organisations to make their dream works, think large and long, and bring local practitioners together with international peers to ensure a greater cross-pollination of ideas. |
| In such an atmosphere of cultural boosting, companies become adventurous, prepared to experiment, to take themselves to scary places. We are making organisations and individuals more creative, open, robust and engaged. And we are showing the world that there’s more to Danish culture than little mermaids, frikadeller and Rødgrød Med Fløde (delicious). We know most people have now been given a book about Hygge for Christmas, telling tales of candles and kringle (yeasty marzipan filled pastry things) – but being European Capital of Culture gives us the mission to go deeper into the Danish DNA to find and create the unique next thing – as well as contemplate a past that is rich in lore, history and traditions. | In such an atmosphere of cultural boosting, companies become adventurous, prepared to experiment, to take themselves to scary places. We are making organisations and individuals more creative, open, robust and engaged. And we are showing the world that there’s more to Danish culture than little mermaids, frikadeller and Rødgrød Med Fløde (delicious). We know most people have now been given a book about Hygge for Christmas, telling tales of candles and kringle (yeasty marzipan filled pastry things) – but being European Capital of Culture gives us the mission to go deeper into the Danish DNA to find and create the unique next thing – as well as contemplate a past that is rich in lore, history and traditions. |
| Creativity is a hidden treasure in cities; when you bring it to the surface, the rewards are manifold. | Creativity is a hidden treasure in cities; when you bring it to the surface, the rewards are manifold. |