A celebration of Liverpool's architecture kicks off today as part of the city region mayor's bid to "raise the bar" for development.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram appointed Paul Monaghan as design champion to help improve the quality of building design in Liverpool and the wider city region.
Today marks the start of the second Liverpool Architecture Festival, which aims to showcase the Liverpool City Region’s architectural heritage and to improve the buildings and public spaces of the future.
The event – also supported by the Liverpool Architecture Foundation and RIBA –has doubled in size this year and will run until Friday, July 1.
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Paul Monaghan, Liverpool City Region Design Champion, said: "Mayor Steve Rotheram appointed me as the Liverpool City Region Design Champion because he recognised that the bar for design needed to be raised for new developments. This festival galvanises the extensive architectural community and is an important driver for change.
“I was brought up in Liverpool and have been lucky enough to design several buildings there including the Alder Centre for the children’s hospital and the refurbishment of the Royal Court Theatre. My experiences are that the city welcomes good design.
“Liverpool also has a thriving emerging architectural scene which I have been keen to promote. I am delighted that last year’s inaugural Liverpool Architecture Festival was such a success that it has now become an important annual fixture complimenting the successful Art Biennale. I can’t wait to come back and get involved.”
The event will start today with a walking tour of Liverpool’s two cathedrals followed by a presentation from festival directors Mathew Giles and Lizzie Edge.
It will be followed by a presentation and Q&A with Mr Monaghan, a Stirling Prize winning architect and director at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, and combined authority chief executive Katherine Fairclough.
The four-week programme will include a series of lectures, workshops, walking and building tours, open studios, and a symposium on the potential listed buildings of the future.
Mayor Rotheram said: “From Port Sunlight on the Wirral to Lord Street in Southport, our region is fortunate to be home to some of the country’s - and the world’s - greatest architectural triumphs. We’re building on enviable foundations, however, it’s important that we also focus on what comes next.
“I want to make sure that we continue to innovate and advance our building design to create spaces that will not only enhance our skyline – but that improve the communities they are in. The buildings where we live, work, and socialise can have a massive impact on our livelihoods, and that’s why it’s so important that we strive to be the very best.
“Last year’s festival was a massive success and gave us the opportunity to celebrate our world-renowned architectural heritage. I want this year’s showcase to go even further and stimulate the debate around what good design is and how we can best use our public spaces.
"That’s why I appointed Paul Monaghan, a local lad who has become one of the country’s leading architects, as our first design champion. I know that like me, Paul has big ambitions for the future of the Liverpool City Region – and I can’t wait to see that creativity and passion on full display.”
Mathew Giles, founder, and co-director of the festival, said: "We have already sold out a number of events evidencing the thirst and enthusiasm that people in the region have for their built environment. This is echoed in the key themes of the festival with events focussed on community, climate and inclusion, all important topics in everyday life."
