Coronation Street has opened a new set based on Salford Precinct.
The two storey construction features maisonettes, a staircase and balcony leading to the properties, a piazza and an array of accessible local shops and units, which enhance and extend the set based on the programme’s 7.7 acre site in Trafford, near Manchester.
The Weatherfield Precinct was unveiled yesterday (Thursday 1st December) by cast including Jack P Shepherd, Sally Dynevor, Antony Cotton, Jimmi Harkishin, Daniel Brocklebank, Channique Sterling-Brown, Elle Mulvaney, Tanisha Gorey, James Craven and Colson Smith.
The fictional precinct has been mentioned often in the soap’s dialogue, with its first airing set to be January 13 2023.
The build was completed in just 9 months whilst filming 5 days a week continued around it.
The new set has been purposefully made to look weathered and decades old, much like many 1960’s shopping centres, such as Salford Shopping Precinct, and many others throughout the UK.
Producer Iain MacLeod said: “Hats off to our design and construction teams who have conjured a totally convincing new precinct for our drama! They took their inspiration from Salford’s many real-world, late 20th century shopping areas and what they have created is a brilliant, characterful space to tell a diverse range of stories.
“Expect to see teens hanging out at the dessert shop, families enjoying the play area and, after dark, a rogues’ gallery, up to shady business in the ginnels. I am really excited by the arrival on screen of this much discussed but never seen corner of the Weatherfield universe.”
It took one Production Designer, one Construction Manager, one Art Director, two Site Supervising Joiners, two Painter & Decorators, two Scenic Painters, 11 joiners, two builders, three Construction workers applying brick slips, five dressers, four electricians and two Production buyers to complete the set.
Head of Design, Rosie Mullins, continued: “Weatherfield Precinct was inspired by the 1960s shopping precincts that we see across many areas of the UK. In designing this the team gathered hundreds of images with a particular focus given to those in our local Manchester and Salford area.
“I wanted there to be aspects of the Precinct that people from all walks of life identify with and recognise. I wanted it to reflect how communities develop but aspects of them can also feel like stepping back in time.
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