The iconic Manchester nightclub, The Haçienda, has been recreated in virtual reality.
The Haçienda is being designed to open as a virtual nightclub, based off original drawings by designer Ben Kelly. According to a Facebook post, the club will soon be accessible via an app, in which users are free to explore, meet up with friends and attend events.
Beginning in 1982, The Haçienda was central to the ecstatic “Madchester” scene of the 1980s and early 1990s. The nightclub is regarded as having played a crucial role in the rise of acid house and rave culture, being one of the first British clubs to start playing house music in 1986. It attracted DJs like Hewan Clarke, Greg Wilson and later Mike Pickering, whose legendary house night, “Nude”, drew queues around the block.
However, drug use and brutal gang violence became a problem for the club. The UK’s first ecstasy-related death occurred at The Haçienda, whilst several shootings took place inside and outside the club. Security failures led to trouble with the police, but it was finances that eventually brought the club to a close.
The Haçienda closed its doors in the summer of 1997. After briefly reopening as an art gallery, the Whitworth Street West site was purchased from the receivers by Crosby Homes. The nightclub was demolished and rebuilt as domestic flats.
For the first time, The Haçienda will be accessible in virtual reality. The legacy of the Manchester nightclub will be revived in the digital 3D model, accessible from your phone.
Fans of The Hacienda might enjoy The Second Summer of Love: How Dance Music Took Over the World by Alon Shulman.
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