Lock and roll

Billed as Manchester's newest "posh space", the Lock is a sophisticated restaurant, bar and coffee shop which has made its home in the unlikely setting of a row of derelict railway arches - and which has survived a change of name within a couple of weeks of opening.

The arches, part of an urban regeneration project, now house several cafés and bars, of which the Lock is the most luxurious, occupying 7,000sq ft on three floors, with a60-seat restaurant on the lowest level. Although the brickwork of the arches is still in evidence, the overall effect is of contemporary elegance and chic comfort.

Dining chairs have floor-length skirts, while the bars have roomy tub chairs and leather sofas. Upholstery fabrics and paint colours are in warm, earthy shades such as aubergine, terracotta, green and pink. Much of the flooring is polished oak, with insets of tiles and curving mosaics of the type used by Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona's Modernista architect. Tables are set with white linen, shiny Italian cutlery and cruets from Prisma.

Owned by Craig Buchanan and Robert Weeks, who operate as Standard Court, the Lock attracts business people during the day and fashionable over-25s in the evenings. Buchanan says: "While we love the building and it obviously comes from the industrial age, we didn't want to overemphasise the industrial feel, so we've tried to soften it."

Initially, the venue opened as the Prada Society Café, which swiftly led to a trademark issue with the Italian fashion house. Just 20 days later, a name change was announced.

This meant that signage, menus, staff uniforms, napkins and other branded items all had to be replaced. However, the same sorts of graphics and typefaces were used, and the business is now truly locked into its new name.