Mar 15
As you’ll no doubt be aware, the planning application for Peel Waters was recently waved through by Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and there will be no public enquiry. Regular readers will remember previous posts, where I’ve come down against the scheme. But now that it looks like going ahead, it’s time to move on and consider how the development will unfold. Read more
Feb 25
Lewis’s has only recently announced its closure, but already plans sneaking out about what will come after it. Still no word on whether the shop itself will be ‘resurgent’ in the new development, but plenty of comment, so I’ll leave to to pop over to those sites for a read.
Plans for a ‘Central Village‘ have been on the cards for a few years already.
Robin Brown on the Liverpool Culture Blog is right to worry about what will go in the new ‘Central Village Liverpool’ . What with Liverpool One and the new developments from Paradise Street up to Renshaw Street, Liverpool is at risk from each area pulling customers away the others. If this development is to work, it will have to have its own distinctive character.
However optimistic we are, Liverpool has only got so much money to spend, especially at the moment. As this is near Lime Street, there is a good chance Central Village will attract visitors from outside the city, but if it apes the rest of the new developments, Liverpool will lose its character, and it’s often bold independent shopping soul.
Good luck to it.
Oct 1
St John's Tower by tim.spillman via Flickr
Update: The wheel in Liverpool One is now finished and taking passengers. The Echo article includes a video, and there are pricing details on Liverpool.com.
The Liverpool Echo is reporting on two proposed ferris wheel projects for Liverpool over the next 18 months. The first proposal was for an ‘observation wheel’, similar in concept to the London Eye, which would give a five minute ride lifting viewers high over the banks of the Mersey near the Echo Arena. This would be in place for about 12 months, and might be open for business as soon as next February. The second wheel seems to be more temporary, being sited in Liverpool One for the festive season. Both wheels hope to bring increased numbers of tourists to the city centre and across the Strand to the river front.
Ferris wheels are almost classic waterfront landscape features. In addition to the London Eye, Blackpool has a wheel on its Central Pier (built 1990), New Brighton had one as part of its fun fair, still in existence in the 1960s. Coney Island also has its Wonder Wheel.
So are Liverpool’s proposed wheels a great way to bring extra shoppers to the city centre in these straitened times? Or a me-too Liverpool Eye? Or a throwback to the seaside funfairs of old? How would this addition to the skyline measure up against the new museum and the Mann Island developments? Comment is free…
Aug 12
Liverpool One, by liquidindian, from Flickr
The Grade II Newsham Park Hospital building is under threat, reports the Echo, due to an increasing level of disrepair, and neglect on the part of the owners. Now councilor Steve Radford has stepped up to try to save the building, calling on the owners to take action. Comments on the Echo site reflect anger that the council is not doing enough, while also worrying that there is insufficient cash to do anything.
Newsham Park hospital began life as the Liverpool Seamen’s Orphan Institution, caring for the children of families lost at sea. The building was designed by Aigburth-born Sir Alfred Waterhouse, architect of Liverpool University’s Victoria Building and the latest Liverpool Royal Infirmiary building. The building was eventually used by the NHS, but closed in 1988 since when it has lain empty.
The building is not currently on English Heritage’s Buildings at Risk register.
In other architectural news, two buildings are up for an award seen as the antithesis of the prestigious RIBA award. The new Pier Head ferry terminal, and the Grosvenor’s Liverpool One (ironically shortlisted for the RIBA award) are up for the prize.
Although quirky, the new ferry terminal is not all that bad, especially as it’s such a small building (compared to, say, the new musuem). As with any new development, Liverpudlians are rightly protective of their Three Graces, and luckily people are coming to the defence of the terminal. I really admire the Liverpool One development (with perhaps the exception of the Lego flats to the north of Chevasse Park). The place is colourful, bright, and includes a green area which so many modern cities (Swindon, I’m looking at you!) lack.
What are your thoughts on the new development, and the awards?
Jul 23
Coat of arms above the Queensway Tunnel, Liverpool. By Alli' Cat' (from Flickr)
This weekend was the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Queensway Tunnel. The National Museums Liverpool blog has an article on the topic, along with links to several online resources, mainly photos. There are some great pictures of the tunnel being constructed, along with other construction schemes (the Anglican Cathedral and ships’ engines). These are from the Stuart Bale collection owned by National Museums Liverpool. In addition, there is the Queensway Mersey Tunnel album which is reproduced page by page (use the links on the right hand side to read each page). A highlight is the ‘mystery figure‘ who climbs up the side of a nearby building for a better view – being caught on camera in the process!
In other news, the Liverpool One scheme has been shortlisted for the Sterling Prize of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The design won a regional RIBA award in May.
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