Spirit of Manchester Distillery & Three Little Words
Manchester
Ebony
Oversize Herringbone
Explore this floor
Spirit of Manchester Distillery & Three Little Words
Bespoke Ebony herringbone beneath Manchester Gin’s historic railway arches Up North Architects transformed six Grade II listed railway arches into a working distillery, bar and dining destination. Custom-made Ebony herringbone follows the venue’s dark material palette beneath original brickwork and glazing overlooking the stills. Woodworks by Ted Todd was commissioned to develop a bespoke herringbone floor for Manchester Gin. Woodworks is our sister brand, specialising in extraordinary modern and historic wood floors, handmade panels and bespoke architectural details, developed and made in its Cheshire workshops. Working with Patrick Thomas, our craftspeople adapted Ebony to meet the project’s design, durability, fire-resistance and slip-resistance requirements.
- Project type
- Hospitality
- Location
- Manchester
- Featured product
- Ebony
Project Overview
In 2019, Manchester Gin opened a 5,300 sq ft distillery beneath Manchester Central. Six Grade II listed brick railway arches were transformed into an immersive venue where visitors can drink, dine and distil.
Having previously worked with Up North Architects, our commercial team was approached to develop a floor for the project. Woodworks by Ted Todd was commissioned to make a bespoke herringbone design for the new venue. Woodworks is our sister brand, specialising in extraordinary modern and historic wood floors, handmade panels and bespoke architectural details, developed and made in its Cheshire workshops.
How we helped
Working with Patrick Thomas, our craftspeople adapted Ebony from the Woodworks Superwide collection into bespoke herringbone blocks. The nature-grade European oak was lightly brushed and double-fumed before being hand-finished with Burnished Hardwax Oil, developing its deep monochromatic colouring.
The floor also had to meet the practical requirements of a busy hospitality venue. Its specification accounted for fire resistance, slip resistance and straightforward cleaning and maintenance. Each engineered block is 20mm thick with a 6mm wear layer, allowing the surface to be sanded and refinished during its lifetime.
Outcome
Ebony’s dark oak sits beneath the original brick arches, contemporary lighting and floor-to-ceiling glazing overlooking the working distillery. The material reinforces the venue’s industrial character and the dark, refined identity associated with Manchester Gin.
Manchester Gin is an internationally recognised spirit with its roots firmly in Manchester. We were very pleased to be involved in this exciting project and to have the opportunity to showcase our bespoke floors in this immersive new venue.
Architect/Designer: Up North Architects
Photo Credit: Premier Hospitality
Ebony up close
The bespoke floor was based on Ebony, a black nature-grade European oak from the Woodworks Superwide collection. Each block was lightly brushed, double-fumed and hand-finished with Burnished Hardwax Oil. The engineered construction is 20mm thick with a 6mm wear layer, and the timber is FSC certified.
