Coventry Then & Now: Reimagining the Icons We Miss - The Eclipse
COVENTRY THEN & NOW
Coventry has always been a city built on identity, culture and collective experience. Over the decades, venues have come and gone, yet the stories attached to them have stayed very much alive. These places became more than buildings. They became part of Coventry’s shared memory. With that in mind, we launched Coventry Then and Now, a creative series where we reimagine notable Coventry venues that no longer exist and explore how they might look if they reopened today.
The purpose of this series is not only to remember, but to celebrate Coventry’s past through a contemporary design lens. Each feature looks back with nostalgia and forward with imagination, asking one simple question.
“What if this place reopened now?”
This week’s feature explores a venue that played a defining role in Coventry’s nightlife and British club culture.
The SECOND in the Series
We couldn’t move on to the next feature with just any venue. It had to be one connected to Coventry’s cultural pulse. The Eclipse is one of those names that continues to be spoken about with energy and nostalgia, and it remains a landmark in the city’s nightlife history.
THE ECLIPSE
Originally opening in 1990, The Eclipse quickly cemented itself as a landmark of the rave movement. It became the first legal all night rave venue in the UK, hosting events and DJs that shaped a generation and helped define electronic music culture across the country. From techno and acid house, to drum and bass and early rave, the sound, visuals and atmosphere created inside those walls are still remembered vividly by those who were there.
For many, a night at The Eclipse was a milestone. The queues, the lights, the energy of the crowd and the sense of freedom all contributed to its legacy. It was more than a club. It was a moment in Coventry’s cultural timeline that people continue to talk about with pride and nostalgia.
During its peak years, Eclipse hosted some of the biggest names of the early-90s British dance scene. Resident DJs such as Parks & Wilson (Mick Park & Mick Wilson) held down regular slots, while headline nights featured the likes of Sasha, Evil Eddie Richards and Fabio. Event brands like Amnesia House and New Age ran for night after night, with legends like Carl Cox and Grooverider dropping sets that defined an era. One story that still gets mentioned today is the rumour that The Prodigy played one of their earliest live sets at Eclipse and were paid just £60.
Although the venue eventually closed, its reputation has lived on through stories, flyers, archived footage and community memory. The Eclipse became a symbol of a generation and a representation of Coventry at a time of musical and cultural change.
So we explored a creative question.
“If The Eclipse reopened today, what would its brand look like?”
The New Eclipse Brand
For this reimagining, we decided to evolve its name by removing the word “The”. A small change that creates simplicity and allows the brand to feel bold, modern and instantly recognisable. The new identity is built around overlapping geometric forms, neon gradients, bold typography and expressive visual energy, capturing the rhythm and colour of nightlife culture today while referencing the raw atmosphere of the original club.
The new identity includes:
A bold and expressive colour palette
Neon gradients, saturated tones and shifting light effects inspired by nightclub visuals and digital culture.
A geometric overlapping symbol
Two intersecting circles form the Eclipse logomark, inspired by the visual alignment seen during a lunar eclipse. This simple geometry creates meaning without complexity, representing connection, atmosphere and the moment where light and darkness meet.
Typography with confidence and clarity
A clean sans serif typeface spaced deliberately to mirror the structure of the logomark, combining precision with attitude. The core brand typography remains consistent, but individual event treatments adapt and evolve, allowing the tone, style and layout to shift depending on the music genre, audience or experience being promoted.
High-energy photography and texture
The visual language draws heavily from early club-culture photography, capturing the feeling of being inside a dark, crowded room where music, movement and atmosphere take over. Grain, motion blur, flashing lights and distorted colour gradients help recreate the raw energy of rave culture. Instead of polished perfection, the imagery embraces imperfection, rhythm and intensity, allowing the brand to feel lived-in, energetic and authentic.
Full brand rollout across key touchpoints
Signage, merchandise, posters, digital interfaces, event campaigns and social content have been designed to present Eclipse as a fully realised venue experience today.
What Should We Reimagine Next?
We would love to hear memories of The Eclipse or suggestions for the next venue in the Coventry Then and Now series.
WEB DESIGN | GRAPHIC DESIGN | BRANDING | MARKETING
Create Onsight is an independent creative agency specialising in web design, graphic design and branding.
We have a genuine passion for ideas, problem-solving and bringing brands to life. Above all else, we love what we do and we keep the process enjoyable for everyone involved.
Our experience covers everything from brand identity and logo design for new businesses, to strategic marketing campaigns, e-commerce websites, brochures, leaflets, annual reports and much more
Need a new website or brand for your business? Contact our Creative Director, Leigh at design@createonsight.co.uk or by using the enquiry form.
