An Amazing New Architecture Centre Is Changing The Face Of Liverpool

The long-awaited ‘national architecture centre in the North’ will open this summer, and is set to be the jewel in the crown of Mann Island – the award-winning waterfront development that has helped reconnect the UNESCO World Heritage Site to the heart of Liverpool.

The brainchild of architecture firm Broadway Malyan, who also completed the rest of the waterfront development, RIBA North will open its doors to the public on June 17 as a destination venue that will ‘explore the enormous impact that architecture and design has on our lives,’ according to RIBA president Jane Duncan.

She continued: ‘We are particularly proud to strengthen our cultural and creative offering in the north of England… At RIBA North, we have a building with museum conditions that will offer a magnificent opportunity to view RIBA’s world-renowned historic collections showing hundreds of years of the UK’s extraordinary architectural history.’

The building is designed to be a hub for both architecture professionals and architecture fans, where a whole host of exhibitions, talks and tours will take place throughout the year.

At the heart of the building, however, is the City Gallery, which is dedicated to Liverpool’s fascinating history, as well as its present-day landscape and plans for urban development in the future.

As well as the permanent City Gallery display, there will be a range of temporary exhibitions – the debut exhibit entitled ‘Liverpool(e): Mover, Shaker, Architectural Risk-Taker’, celebrates Liverpool’s boldest and most audacious projects, exploring how the city has long been associated with architectural ambition and drama. It will be on display until September.

You’ll also be able to delve into RIBA’s rich historical archives which include drawings, photographs and prints – some of which date back to the 15th century. Highlights include Sir Denys Lasdun’s radical plan for the Catholic Cathedral site, plus Graeme Shankland’s dramatic vision for Liverpool’s skyline back in the 60s, when two thirds of its buildings were declared obsolete.

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, said: ‘We’re proud of our heritage in the city, which is why we have focused on bringing so much of it back to life, and I have high hopes that the RIBA’s presence in the city will increase opportunities to work with other cities across the Northern Powerhouse.’

For more information the RIBA North, or the exhibitions, click here.

About the author

Charlotte Luxford

Architecture & Design Editor

As Culture Trip's architecture and design expert, Charlotte has more than 12 years' industry experience, working for an array of national publications. Prior to joining Culture Trip, Charlotte was the editor of Grand Designs Magazine, steering the magazine in a new direction and overseeing a new look for the title. She has also worked for mass media organisation TI Media, providing content for Livingetc, Ideal Home, Country Homes & Interiors and Homes & Gardens. Charlotte has always had a passion for design and is also a qualified interior designer, having completed a diploma in her spare time. At Culture Trip, Charlotte has worked closely with institutions including the Design Museum and London Design Festival, as well as interviewing design heroes such as Thomas Heatherwick and Sir Terence Conran.