Great Northern Market
S+Co was engaged by specialist airport hospitality operator ARE (Airport Retail Enterprises) to support their bid for a new 10,000ft² restaurant within Manchester Airport’s soon-to-be-completed Terminal 2. The brief: to create a unique dining concept and bespoke brand that ARE would own and operate.
Work
- arhitecture
- interior design
- GRAPHIC DESIGN
- FF&E specification
- signage & wayfinding
COLLABORATORS
UNITED CREATIVES
MARCUS METHOD
SCOMAC CATERING
MORRIS & SPOTTISWOOD
Our response, The Great Northern Market, reimagines the airport restaurant as a vibrant street food market rooted in Manchester’s industrial heritage.
our response
Bringing together six open kitchens, a central bar and a specialist dessert counter, the space delivers theatre, variety and flexibility within a clear architectural framework.
Working holistically across architecture, interior design, brand applications, FF&E and wayfinding, we ensured every touchpoint contributed to a confident, unified identity.
The interior balances industrial character with warmth and vibrancy. Exposed steel frameworks and durable finishes provide a resilient backbone suited to constant footfall, while bold colour injects energy and atmosphere.
Coloured ribbed glass ceiling panels, inspired by traditional industrial glazing, screen the complex airport soffit and services above, helping to humanise the volume and define the market hall below.
Working holistically across architecture, interior design and branding, we ensured every touchpoint contributed to a confident and unified identity.
A HIGH-PERFORMING SPACE
We identified and commissioned Manchester-based artist Marcus Method, working closely with him to shape the artistic brief and narrative. The resulting large-scale murals inject character, embedding a bold sense of local identity across the market hall.
The design maintains atmosphere at every hour - from early departures to red-eye arrivals - while remaining operationally efficient.
A key challenge was navigating a back of house spread across three levels. Our hospitality expertise was critical in ensuring smooth operations despite this complexity. We carefully planned the flow between the prep kitchen, cellar space and storage areas to enable continuous and seamless service.
The result is a confident, high-performing interior that challenges expectations of airport hospitality.
