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Liverpool Waterfront Modern Architecture | Good enough for the Carbuncle Cup?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video we take a look at examples of modern and contemporary architecture on the Liverpool Waterfront, from existing buildings to new construction planned and in progress. The Carbuncle Cup was an award for bad architecture. A few of the buildings along the waterfront received this very dubious honour. In the video I express my views about the buildings that were targeted by the award, which hasn't been given since 2018.
Whenever I look at these modern buildings, I always think that they were designed when the local secondary schools had their work experience week .... except for New Hall Place, the former Royal & Sun Alliance building, in Old Hall Street which was designed on the day that the architect was unable to find a childminder and had to take his three-year old into work with his Duplo bricks. While many are not to my taste, I recognise change is necessary but what I found unacceptable is the placement of these new buildings next to the old, often obscuring them as you point out in the case of Mann Island. Another interesting and inspiring video.
Wow, I am very happy to have your positive feedback. I want my videos to be inspiring. I want people to appreciate cities, conservation and architecture more, especially modern architecture. I can't make my mind up about New Hall Place. It's a very big and complicated building. Maybe it's because the design is too random - like you say, like a pile of building bricks. As for the Mann Island development, I agree it would have been better to keep the site empty but there are other considerations and stronger forces at play. Many thanks for your comment, which gives me great encouragement. I'm stil in the early stages of the channel but making slow progress.
A very well constructed video, Aidan. 'Ugly' is a subjective term especially when emotionally charged in architecture. I think that that the qualities of a building being aesthetically pleasing depends on location, purpose and context. Your camera work would appear to show that is working and exciting. As far as the Three Graces are concerned it is a question of integrating them into a 21st century vision rather than wrapping them in proverbial cotton wool (which UNESCO possibly failed to recognise). Also, the magnificance of the waterfront is to be appreciated from the river itself, as any sailor would tell you.
Thanks for your comment on this video, which has not had as many views or comments as I'd expected. You're right, 'ugly' definitely is subjective. I find the Liverpool Waterfront magnificent, and it looks great from the river or from Woodside or Seacombe. I've photographed it from there many times.
I really like the Mann Island buildings👌A nice contrast with the ‘Three Graces’👍
I think they are very attractive but it is true that they block the view of the Three Graces - partially.
Many thanks for your videos, excellent commentary and editing. It is difficult to make aesthetic judgements on modern buildings in close proximity to the sort of historical ones you find in Liverpool. It is almost impossible to achieve congruity. Buildings over 100 years will always be dwarfed by high-developments. Up until recently, Dublin was a good example of a city that shunned high-rise development but now it is giving way to the high-rise development. I am guessing there will be very few European cities that have not succumbed to the high-rise virus.
Very interesting run down of the architectural highlights and lowlights around the Pier Head area. It has been over 40 years since I moved from Liverpool to the USA, and have been back briefly several times. However time constraints got in the way of really exploring this area. I have seen pictures that do not do it justice - I was pleasantly surprised by your photos. My one main criticism is of the permanent damage done by the Mann Island project on the view of the Three Graces. What on earth were they thinking - what on earth were the powers that be thinking to allow this? Sacrilege!!! It really is a no brainer to have protected those wonderful views from every angle. Was there any outcry about this? Should have been a huge outcry. I was surprised by how many apartment buildings there are around the Pier Head area. Nice to bring the population back into the city, although I presume it must be at a premium.
Thanks very much for your positive feedback on the video and on my photos. Not many people comment on my photos, often archive photos, which are an integral part of all my videos. Yes, some people made critical comments after completion, though by then it was too late. Another city might have decided to put a park on the site - that would have been nice. But this is a prime city centre site, the profit from building development, sale of land, council tax, business rate make it hard to resist building on this bit of land. Another - perhaps weather city would have kept the site free, leaving a permanent unfettered view for locals, visitors and of course photographers! Yes, there are lots of apartment buildings in the centre, as in Manchester, Leeds, Dublin and other cities. That's definitely a good thing. Many thanks for your comment!
Interesting, enjoyable video! I find the Mann Island buildings quite fascinating, as I have come to the conclusion, perhaps not with much support, that they were built purposely that way in order to give a symbolic impression of peeling away a covering to reveal a view. It might not seem obvious to many people but as someone with an interest in photography, I'm starting to realise the semi-envelopment of the Liver Buildings was a purposeful, and extremely clever bit of building. It basically invites people to Pierhead.. it's saying, if you peel away the rest of the building, the view will become apparent. So I see it in a different way to most people. Also Mann Island I think is beautiful modern architecture.
I just wish I could explain a bit better what I meant about the 'peeling away' symbolism.
No, I know exactly what you mean by 'peeling away'. The Mann Island Buildings partially obscure the Three Graces, giving people a tempting glimpse of what's behind! But I don't think everybody sees it like that! The land on which the Mann Island buildings is prime real estate so it was never going to be turned into a park. Any building would have to be of a size to make it commercially viable. The buildings themselves are superb pieces of modern architecture. I've visited the Open Eye Gallery and gone into some of the bars and workspaces so I've used it quite a bit. Many thanks for your comment!
Some interesting buildings. Have you seen Manchester CC have approved a 60 story apartment block in Salford
I think that's the Trinity Islands development for three gigantic towers. I reported on that project in my original Building Boom in Manchester video, but the plans seem to have changed. The affordable housing has gone and there is no mention of any viewing platform. Thanks for flagging that up anyhow. Always great to read your comments.
I wish Liverpook had 200m towers. Also I was always baffled at the choice for the '4th Grace'. One proposal was a glass and steel elegant building tapering up. The obvious and best choice and of course they didn't choose it. Not hating what is there at all. Really well designed buildings and have no idea why they were chosen for the Carbuncle Cup sorry. We need to stop worrying about every sight lane as well. The Mann Island development is superior. I stopped taking the Carbuncle Cup seriously a long time ago.
Yes, the Carbuncle Cup often picks out some of the best buildings. There were various proposals for the '4th grace' but in the end, we don't have one and I think that's right. We have the Mann Island buildings and the Museum of Liverpool. The Ventilation Building is my fourth grace, I think it's a fascinating structure.
I agree with you that the buildings here don't deserve the Carbuncle Cup. They are all unique in shape which could make them off-putting but a building that is boring can be even worse. I think the Mann Island Development is visually interesting and, while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, are decent looking buildings. I do think, though, their placement is unfortunate. The The Three Graces truly are beautiful buildings and the view from Albert Dock should have been preserved. We just don't build buildings that are this beautiful anymore. Very unfortunate.
Thanks very much as ever for your comments, much appreciated. I know that a lot of people say the Mann Island Development is ugly but they are getting the location mixed up with the design. It wasn't the fault of the architects. They were asked to design a building for the site. They did a good job. They even tried to mitigate the damage by using sloping roofs so the historic buildings were at least partly visible. In a different city, with different decision-makers the view would have been left unblocked.
I definitely believe the Carbuncle Cup should be continued. Many of the winners have been truly awful.
Personally I don't think so. They haven't given it since 2018 so maybe they decided quietly to bring it to an end. I think the decision of what is a good modern building is very much in the eye of the beholder. There is no widely accepted definition for what is a good modern building. I think it's too negative. If I had designed a building and put everything into it, only for it to be ripped apart by the CC judges, I think I would be very upset, but maybe architects develop a thick skin. Many thanks for your thoughts!