Location: adj Albert
Dock, just to the east, south of city centre
2008
Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Liverpool Arena & Convention Centre
Address: 16 Monarchs Quay, Liverpool, L3 4FP
Photos © Adrian Welch 13 Feb 2009:
Aerial photographs:
photos © webbaviation
Image 21 Jan 2008:
image Ian Lawson
Kings Waterfront Liverpool - Jan 2008
Background
Kings Waterfront is a vital component in Liverpool’s regeneration,
and will see the transformation of an unattractive brownfield site into
a vibrant urban quarter. The first phase of this development is the £146
million Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre.
Co-ordinated by the city centre Urban Regeneration Company, Liverpool
Vision, and funded by English Partnerships, the Northwest Regional Development
Agency (NWDA), Liverpool City Council, the Merseyside Objective One Programme,
Kings Waterfront covers over 14 hectares to the south of the city’s
Albert Dock.
Photo Tim Soar
Liverpool Arena and Convention centre
The scheme, the centrepiece of the city’s European Capital of Culture
celebrations in 2008, comprises: an arena with 9,500 seat capacity; a
convention centre with a 1,350 seat auditorium; and a 7,000sqm exhibition
space. A public piazza, capable of accommodating large outdoor events,
two hotels, extensive public realm and 1,600 space multi-storey car park
complete the scheme, which is set within a mixed use community of residential,
office, neighbourhood retail, public and open space uses.
Wilkinson Eyre Architects’ design incorporates the development’s
varied functions as a single complex of two unified forms, creating a
contemporary landmark on Liverpool’s historic waterfront. The two
forms, one housing the arena and the other the conference and exhibition
centre, are joined by a central, glazed ‘galleria’, forming
a common circulation space. From Birkenhead, the composition of these
two sculpted forms, pivoted about the central galleria, resembles a pair
of graceful outstretched arms or ‘wings’, spanning Liverpool’s
famous Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals.
The development incorporates a series of exciting new public spaces, rich
in activity, providing improved access to the waterfront and strengthening
connectivity to other nearby attractions.
The arena and convention centre are designed to minimise energy consumption
and reduce carbon emissions through heat recovery systems, natural ventilation
and heat pumps. The building is designed to achieve a 'Very Good' BREEAM
rating. In operation, it will run on renewable ‘green’ energy,
some of it generated on-site by five wind turbines, and operate recycled
rainwater and waste recycling initiatives.
Arena building under construction:
site photos © adrian welch oct 2007
Liverpool Arena architect
: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Kings Waterfront - Project Team:
Client: Liverpool City Council
Architects: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Structural Engineers: Buro Happold
Services Engineers: Faber Maunsell
QS: Gleeds
Lighting Consultants: Speirs & Major
Acoustics Consultants: Sandy Brown Associates
Landscape Architects: Gustafson Porter
Arena Consultants: Sport Concepts
Conference Centre: Theatre Project Consultants
Kings Waterfront Liverpool / Liverpool Echo Arean images + information
from Wilkinson Eyre Architects 140108
Photos © Adrian Welch 13 Feb 2009:
Nearest train station : Lime Street
Contact: 0844 8000 400
Liverpool Arena context : Albert Docks
King's Waterfront Civic Facilities, Kings Dock Arena, central Liverpool
experiencing funding problems late 2006
Context for Liverpool Arena - recent building:
Recent News from Wilkinson Eyre : St.
Petersburg Masterplan
Liverpool Echo Arena : Stirling
Prize 2008 Venue
Kings Dock Landscaping
2008
Gustafson Porter
Other examples of Liverpool Architecture welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk
World Architecture : e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
Stirling Prize 2008
Liverpool Building
Comments / photos for the Kings Waterfront Liverpool Architecture page
welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk
Liverpool Arena Building - page : adrian
welch / isabelle lomholt