Project Overview
Client: Mission Mars, a multi-award winning operator of premium eating and drinking venues
Location: Albert Hall, Manchester
Project Type: Heritage venue transformation and fit-out
Building: Grade II Listed former nightclub
Challenge/Brief
Mission Mars required the transformation of a disused Grade II Listed building—formerly the Albert Hall nightclub—into a high-end, multi-functional venue. The brief called for creating a traditional German beer hall experience whilst preserving and enhancing the building’s historic character. The venue needed to accommodate diverse trading periods, from daytime bakery customers to evening entertainment crowds, all whilst maintaining the premium standards expected from Mission Mars’s portfolio.
Solution
MGI developed a design approach that celebrated the synergy between the building’s original Victorian features and contemporary hospitality requirements. The solution focused on specifying innovative products and design elements that would complement rather than compete with the existing architecture, creating an authentic German beer hall atmosphere within the listed building’s constraints.
Implementation
The project involved careful specification of materials and finishes that would create warmth and accessibility across different areas of the venue. Key implementation aspects included preserving significant architectural features whilst integrating modern hospitality infrastructure, installing appropriate lighting and acoustic solutions for both dining and entertainment use, and creating distinct zones for the in-house bakery, dining areas, and live performance spaces.
Results
Albert’s Schloss successfully established itself as a figurehead venue within Manchester’s competitive dining and entertainment scene. The project delivered a distinctive destination that operates successfully across multiple day-parts, from bakery trade through to evening entertainment. The careful balance of heritage preservation and modern functionality created a venue that appeals to diverse customer groups whilst maintaining Mission Mars’s reputation for quality and innovation in the hospitality sector.