Construction sites, planned, in progress
I went on a tour on my Brompton bike around Liverpool's construction sites
planned, in progress, completed or stalled. It was an eye-opener, or as we say in German, es war ein 'Aha-Erlebnis' it. German 'aha!' experience
I didn't cover everything so I'll do a follow-up soon. We begin near Lime Street station. The roadworks are part of Liverpool's controversial city centre connectivity scheme. Let's hope it makes the city more connected, not less.
The North Western Hotel was opened in 1871 and closed in 1931. The Grade II listed former hotel and former student residence is being converted back into a hotel, the Radisson RED Liverpool. Hotel. Renovation has been delayed due to the former developer going into administration, a story we'll hear again and again. Our next project is situated very close to here, on the site of the former Norton Street coach station. It's the NATEX project with two towers set at an angle to each other, containing student accommodation. Interesting that during construction we often see an attractive purple colour but these are simply the insulation panels. By the time construction is finished they will be hidden under the exterior skin of the building.
We are on the street named Islington, part of the wide dual carriageway that runs to the north of the city centre. There are several university residences along here, already occupied or soon to be completed. Already completed is Calico student living, and just off Islington, a little bit further up on Devon Street, Innovo student accommodation is under construction. And a little bit further up Islington, we come to a project that's been delayed both due to the pandemic and because of financial problems. It's the Fabric Village. Construction has halted, only the framework of the building is visible. YPG Group Ltd went into liquidation in 2020 and has become North West Development. Consortium Limited.
The developers have stated that the project will be completed. Close to it is another project that has been delayed due to developer problems. The Aura project stalled when Elliot Group went into administration in 2020. A consortium of investors took over the scheme and now it is set for completion sometime in 2022 under the name True Liverpool. The operator is True Student. The residence will provide students with advanced facilities and great rooftop views. Let's stop as we look back down Erskine Street leading to Islington. In Liverpool, continuous roads seem to randomly change names.
That's typical of UK cities. We turn to our right and see the next project, situated on a prominent corner site at the top of the hill. It is called Element - The Quarter, described as the first eco-development in Liverpool.
Residents will enjoy great views from the
Top of the building down towards the waterfront and the river.
Architects are Falconer Chester Hall, whose name can be seen on other projects around the city centre. Proceeding along the street named Low Hill - I love these unofficial footpaths made by people's feet - we reach the massive NHS project, the new Royal Liverpool Hospital. Due to various problems, including the collapse of construction company Carillion, it's been delayed. It should have opened in 2017 but it's hoped it will admit its first patients in spring 2022.
The cost for the 646-bed facility is predicted to be over £1.1bn, not all paid by public money. This information from the Liverpool Echo. Across Grove Street, the continuation of Low Hill there are new construction projects in the district named Paddington Village, another London-inspired name. The rust-coloured building with the cantilevered front is the new Novotel, 16 storeys high, with 221 rooms, described as the highest hotel in the city. So more great views from the upper rooms, I'd love to see them. Next to it is one of Liverpool's most impressive new buildings, it's the Spine, the first Grade A office building in the Liverpool City Region for over 10 years. It has many innovative features, such as its biophilic design and voronoi polygons. A voronoi diagram in mathematics is a partition of a plane into regions close to each of a given set of objects.
Biophilic means the love of nature and living things. The top four floors will be the northern home of the Royal College of Physicians. The building was opened by the City of Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson and the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram. Let's take a look at this visualisation I did in Google Earth, captured at an earlier stage of construction. It certainly looks impressive from any angle and the views from the top will be unbeatable. Architects: AHR. In the upper right, we can see our next project. It's the Littlewoods building, constructed in the late 1930s and it has been empty since 2003.
Sadly there was a fire in 2018. Despite the damage, the building is set for a bright future as a film studio complex with adjacent soundstages. This project too has been delayed. The Littlewoods Pools Building is one of Liverpool's most iconic buildings. I can't wait for the project to be completed. I hope to feature the renovation as it proceeds. From this Google Earth aerial view we can see some of the damage to the roof, but most of the main structure is intact. Heading back to the city centre, on the way back along Edge Lane, let's take a quick look at a low-rise development of new houses.
It's called The Approach, Edge Lane and it's being constructed on the site of the large Victorian houses all of which were demolished a few years ago. Now e cycle down and around Paddington Village along Grove Street. On the corner of Oxford Place on the Liverpool University campus, a striking brick building is under construction. It has a curved corner façade, echoing the Philharmonic Hall, just a few minutes walk away and also the Stoller Hall in Manchester. This is the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, a project of University of Liverpool Construction.
Company Special Projects.
Architects: Ellis Williams.
The centre houses an auditorium big enough for a 70 piece orchestra as well as a state-of-the-art lecture theatre.
Lunchtime concerts and other events will take place here. I can't wait to see the interior once it's completed. I love the craftsmanship of the brickwork with its curves and patterns. The Knowledge Quarter covers Liverpool University, the new hospital and neighbouring areas. As we look back from the University along. Brownlow Hill towards The Spine, the building certainly looks impressive. Now let's move down to the Renshaw Street area and onto Back Renshaw. Street, where this development of student apartments is currently under construction.
Bowline Liverpool offers the full range of facilities, but perhaps its biggest attraction is its central location. I look forward to seeing the completed project, though I don't think I'll be taking up their invitation! Hello students, says the display panel. Welcome to the new way to live. We do things differently here. Wasn't it Tony Wilson who said those words about Manchester? The name Faulkner Chester Hall architects is seen again. Every project should have display panels like this to show how it's going to look and to show the name of the architects. A few steps up Oldham Place is Roscoe Street. Here we are looking onto Mount Pleasant and the attractive Georgian-style houses.
On the site where a Chinese supermarket used to be, a new apartment development is under construction. There was some controversy regarding parking spaces. The plot on the opposite side of Roscoe Street is owned by John Moores University, who expressed reservations. Information from Insider Media. And now let's go over to Dale Street where the Municipal Buildings are being renovated and extended, and will re-emerge as a luxury 4 star hotel. Liverpool City Council sold the building for 10.2 million pounds. It was completed in 1868 and is Grade II* listed. We'll cross over to the area by the former Exchange Station on the corner of Pall Mall and.
Prussia Street, where a major new development of apartment buildings is taking place. According to Place North West, the proposals comprise two residential blocks of 10 and 22 storeys each, containing 48 studios, 112 one-bedroom, 153 two-bedroom, 23 three-bedroom apartments. Developer is Ridge Liverpool, architects Falconer Chester Hall. Sadly there are no display panels at the site, apart from the name of the construction company and the architects. On the other side of the street named Pall Mall, the project named. Pall Mall is in preparation. It will be built on the former tracks of Exchange Station. It promises to be "a new business community in the heart of Liverpool", so says the sign.
Now we go to the end of Pall Mall and onto Leeds Street, part of the major arterial road linking the waterfront with the tunnels, Islington, Edge Lane and the M62.
Regular drivers will have noticed that this
Site hasn't changed in over a year.
That's because of the collapse of developer Elliot. Since then construction has been stalled, along with another three-tower project in Manchester. Infinity is an upmarket, aspirational project featuring three tall towers. "Elliot, the north west's fastest growing developer", says the display. Stalled construction projects send out a negative message about the city. Let's hope this one can be either completed or replaced.
And now we go down the hill and along Waterloo Road, past the Kingsway Tunnel ventilation tower, I love that building, and onto Jesse Hartley Way, a new road named after the man who oversaw the building of numerous docks and buildings in Liverpool in the 19th century. We are now in Liverpool Waters and we can see a taste of what's to come. This new road will lead to a new terminal for the Isle of Man ferry. North of here, further development will take place. I made this animation in. Google Earth Studio to show the site as it looks now. These plans to transform and regenerate this area are apparently what caused officials at UNESCO to delist the city. I'll let the information boards tell the story.
All construction sites should have display boards like these. Here we see works commencing on the new Isle of Man ferry terminal. To the right was where the B+I Line terminal used to be. Now it's occupied by residential properties. I departed from and arrived here many times on the Dublin ferry. We'll end at Princes Dock and focus on two distinctive residential buildings. On the left is Plaza 1821, named after the year Princes Dock was opened. It's already completed and occupied.
Next to it is The Lexington. It's a New York-inspired small skyscraper that contains 325 apartments, a sky lounge, gym and rooftop garden. It celebrates the ties between Liverpool and New York and its design is influenced by the Rockefeller Center and the Empire State building. The height is given as 112.5 m or 369 feet, so it's the third tallest in Liverpool after West. Tower (134m 440 ft) and Radio City Tower (125m 410 ft). Information from Wikipedia. I've heard some people criticise this building but I think it's great and I'd love to take a look at the top floor apartments and the view from them. Architects? Falconer Chester Hall.
We've cycled 7 miles or 11 kilometres and it's been quite a journey of discovery. That's why I always say Look, Explore and Capture. It's the best way.