A new dining and drinking space at Manchester's Palace Hotel by Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, the DJ duo behind The Unabombers, has officially opened at an event attended by more than 1,200 guests.
The Refuge by Volta (pictured) is set in 10,000 sq ft of space comprising a 139-cover restaurant with an open kitchen, a bar with 18 craft-ale taps, a private dining room, a winter garden inside a glass atrium, and event space. Design work was overseen by project architect 3D Reid and interior designer Michaelis Boyd.
The Refuge, which is located on the corner of Oxford Street and Whitworth Street, takes its name from the fact that the Palace Hotel was formerly home to life insurance and pensions company Refuge Assurance Company, which built the landmark in stages between 1891 and 1930.
In July 2016, Cowdrey told Insider that the restaurant aims to replicate the success of The Unabombers' Electric Chair club night by attracting customers from all over the city.
Cowdrey and Crawford launched their Electric Chair club night in a Manchester basement in 1995 before later moving to a larger basement club, the Music Box. They have since turned their attentions to the food and drink sector, launching the bar Electrik in Chorlton in 2009 and restaurant Volta in West Didsbury in 2013.
Volta at the Refuge is by far their largest project to date.
The Palace Hotel is owned and operated by Principal Hayley, which was acquired by Starwood Capital Group in February 2013. The creation of Volta at the Refuge forms part of the four-star hotel's multimillion-pound refurbishment.
Image credit: Jody Hartley