The new building looks
like a monsterosity to me. Little better than the defeated Fourth Grace proposal.
Chris
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The new building looks
like a monsterosity to me. Little better than the defeated Fourth Grace proposal.
Chris
div>
Christopher T. George
Editor, Ripperologist
Editor, Loch Raven Review
http://christophertgeorge.blogspot.com/
Chris on Flickr and on MySpace
At first I hated this proposal, but over the past few months I have begun to like these
buildings. The revised design looks better than the original and alot of time and effort seems to have gone into it. I think that this project will be one of
those that is controvercial, but when it is complete I think people will actually like it and it will probably become one of the most liked buildings in the
city.
City waterfront plan to go ahead
A £120m development on the site of Liverpool's doomed Fourth Grace,
has been given the go-ahead.
The waterfront scheme consists of three wedge-shaped buildings on Mann Island, built next to the controversial X-shaped
Museum of Liverpool.
The city's planning committee gave its approval on Tuesday.
The decision had been delayed after concerns were raised
about whether it would affect the waterfront's World Heritage Status.
Inspectors visited the city, and the council said their preliminary report was
"positive". A more extensive report is not expected until next year.
Opponents claim the buildings, two of which will be residential, could harm the
area's architectural heritage.
Will Alsop's controversial design was eventually rejected
Among the groups opposing the scheme include
the Liverpool Preservation Trust, The Victorian Society and Albert Dock Residents' Association.
The three granite-clad buildings would house more
than 300 apartments in two buildings, as well as offices, shops, bars and restaurants.
Developers Neptune and Countryside Properties said the
buildings would frame views of the city's Three Graces - the Port of Liverpool Building, Cunard Building and the Liver Building.
Steve Parry,
managing director of Neptune Developments, said: "We are delighted to be finally moving ahead with this scheme.
'Positive support'
"This is
a not only one of the key development sites for Liverpool but one of the most important in the whole of the North West.
"The overwhelmingly positive
support we received is reflected in the decision of planning committee."
The plans were backed by English Heritage, Liverpool Vision and the North
West Development Agency.
Plans for a Fourth Grace - Will Alsop's "The Cloud" - were dropped in 2004, after they were deemed "unworkable".
An exhibition of the planned multi-million pound re-development of Liverpool's waterfront has been put on show at the city's Maritime Museum.
Visitors can experience a computer animated 'fly through' of the Mann Island changes, said developers Neptune and Countryside Properties.
Building work is to start early in the new year.
The exhibition is open until 21 December and visitors can leave their comments in a special book.
'Under-used asset'
Plans for the Mann Island site include a new £65m Museum of Liverpool, an extension to the Leeds Liverpool Canal, a £120m mixed-use development as well as improvements to areas for public use.
The new waterfront scheme is expected to create over 800 new jobs, as well as increase the number of visitors, said the developers.
"We're beginning to see a very positive change on the city's waterfront," said Jim Gill, Liverpool Vision's Chief Executive.
"Although the Pier Head and Mann Island present the city's image to the rest of the world, the area is one of the city's most under-used assets.
"The transformation of Mann Island is key to our ambitions of making the City Centre Waterfront a visitor destination of international significance," he added.
source.......
THE Merseyside Civic Society has urged local government minister Ruth Kelly to intervene in plans for a multi-million pound development close to Liverpool Pier Head. more
I love the new museum building but think the apartment bocks are so out of place and ordinary. The museum is diferent and an individual iconic design that once built will be appreciated more. The apartments are such a waste of the site. The only good thing about them is the use of contrasting materials in relation to the '3 graces'. People who ask for buildings using the same materials don't seem to get the fact that this would actually detract from the 4 buildings by blending them in with obviously boring new pastiche rubbish. Modern iconic buildings are required for sites like this to make both the new build and the old stand on their own merits.. The housing trust building on commutation row is a perfect example of a boring post modern/pastiche piece of boring building that is a waste of a prime city site. You do not get people in Berlin or Barcelon asking for pastiche buildings to fit in with surroundings and the cities are the better for it.
I posted below on another thread - relevant here. The museum can stay, but why not excavate the Dock and basin or even just one of them, as the canal runs through them anyway. Too easy is isn't it. The Pier Head is a dead space. A poor public space. The water will add value and history.
Excavating Manchester Dock & Chester Basin?
The Canal Link actually runs through the in-filled Chester Basin and Manchester Dock, north of the Canning Graving Docks. The basin and dock are still there underground complete with granite quays. Common sense would dictate fully excavating the basin and if possible the adjacent Manchester Dock too, which had a river lock. The location of the lock position is visible from the river wall at the Canning Dock. Archaeologists are to dig out much of the dock and basin. Leaving the water spaces uncovered and refilled with water would be the most appropriate action. These docks are over 220 years old. The canal could run right through Chester Basin giving berths for canal boats and adding to the charm of the Pier Head.
Any sensible developer would want to reinstate these small historic water spaces, as they would add value to their projects and gain public acceptability.
Below: Manchester Dock and Chester Basin are to the south west of the Dock Board Office at the Pier Head.
http://www.saveliverpooldocks.co.uk
Go to: Canal Link page
The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click
Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
canals to view its modern museum describing
how it once was?
Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
Rapid-transit rail: Everton, Liverpool & Arena - CLICK
Save Royal Iris - Sign Petition
Parts of the Old Dock were dug up recently. The quays are still there. The quays were poor as they were made of local sandstone and brick. One reason for filling in was the poor state of the quays as they were around 100 years old at the time.
Only a park was over it. It could have been dug out and re-instated and put to original condition complete with locks and bridge. Take away the Dock Rd and connect the Old Docks back onto the Dock network and what an environment. Too easy isn't it?
Have a look. Interesting:
http://www.oau-oxford.com/html_pages/maritime_trade.htm
The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click
Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
canals to view its modern museum describing
how it once was?
Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
Rapid-transit rail: Everton, Liverpool & Arena - CLICK
Save Royal Iris - Sign Petition
I agree mate, would be ridiculous to build a museum of LIVERPOOL LIFE and ignore the history underneath or around it. If they are excavating the dock anyway, it surely makes sense to do as you say and use it as a feature and part of the new canal link which will only enhance the new building.
As for the old dock on the site of the pool, I raed that part of it is being used as a water feature in the park and some of the excavated walls/queys will be left visable and form a display with interactive info etc explaining the history of the site,- pool-dock-customs house etc.
The shanty 'blow the man down' comes from the are of the original dock doesn't it? 'As I was walking down Paradise street........' The warehouses behind Paradise street and around Lydia Anne street etc are all from this era I seem to remember. Hopefully Grosvenor have retsored the ones they said they would behind the old radio merseyside building, Shame they demolished what was one of the oldest houses in the area facing Gostins building next to the old Academy/Planet x. Still had the early Georgian box sash windows as well.
Last edited by christy; 11-30-2006 at 04:27 PM.
Looks to me like the asphalt has been scraped away to reveal the old quays.
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