Pier Head 1911 (the Liver Building is minus its Liver Birds)
Pier Head 2000
Pier Head, May 2010
It is easy to cast oneself as yet another moaner who is always finding fault with any changes. I’d like to think I have a positive attitude to change and I have welcomed many of the recent developments that have transformed the city. I am a big fan of the new Museum of Liverpool and see it as a graceful addition to the waterfront along with the Arena. However, the destruction of one of the best cityscapes in the country makes my blood boil.
The waterfront has always been restricted to the people of Liverpool and the first view taken in 1911 shows a scene that would have been enclosed by storage sheds along the Dock Road. However, the opening up of the vista, particularly from 1984 with the landscaping around Albert Dock, created a magnificent view that lifted the spirits as you walked or drove past. The view through the arch became a favourite photo opportunity – framing the Pier Head in all its glory. My view taken in 2000 captures a scene that must have impressed any visitor to the city. (I used a similar shot for the cover of Quentin Hughes’ Liverpool City of Architecture to highlight the best view in the city). So what have they done? Taken away an iconic view that sold the city for three blocks of black glass-faced speculation that have changed the waterfront for generations (or at least until they pull them down). Why there? Why black when virtually every building in Liverpool is either brick or white stone? We talk about listing buildings. The space around Mann Island should have been declared public open space and landscaped accordingly. Shame on all those who voted for the development (which only got through on a casting vote).
The public are treated with derision by decision-makers. Remember the Fourth Grace fiasco when the public were asked for an opinion and then completely ignored. The obsession with filling every space with commercial buildings is wrong-minded and damages the city’s heritage. We need more open space not less. We have been palmed off with a little patch of green in Liverpool One when what we should have are swathes of green across the city centre. Whoops – I have turned into a typical moaner in three paragraphs.
I’m afraid I fall into the same camp with you! The buildings themselves are growing on me, but as with so many modern developments: why there?! North Docks would probably have been a more fitting setting. I love the Albert Dock / Pier Head area as a sort of urban park, a public space, and the new canal fits right in with this. But now to get a good vista of the graces in context we’ll have to get on a ferry.
On a more positive note, it’s interesting to see the Liver Building minus the birds. Must have been photographed JUST before it opened. Without the Liver Birds, is it just ‘The Building’?
I couldn’t agree more, looking at that picture from 2000 you have to accept that the view is spectacular and would sell the City to any visitor. To obscure it with this heap of characterless black glass is in my view a great shame. Do the people who make the decisions ever leave their desks ?
Liked someone had taped a black bin liner across a much loved window to the city.
I whole heartedly agree with all the previous comments. The Pier Head is a designated World Heritage site, nowhere else in the world would anyone get away with building such an out of place monstrocity on such a site. Shame on you Liverpool City Council. Someone has told me that the reflection of ‘the three graces’ in this new building is amazing, it is good, but nowhere near as stunning as the original view across the dock. The other side of the Strand (the Liverpool One side) would have been a much better siting for this building, which is totally unecessary, as we have so many empty offices and apartments in the city, why build more!!
How strange, but fascinating, to see the Liver Building without the birds! Incidentally, I understand from Grandparents alive at the time, when the Liver Building was built the local people reckoned the multi-storey new building would be a blot on the landscape…..is this what you would call irony, maybe times haven’t changed??
I seem to recall one of the selling points for the new buildings was that they would reflect the water etc. What a poor justification for destroying an unrivalled cityscape (with fantastic reflections especially when the dock water was still). To me, it is the most shocking decision taken in the last decade and it depresses me every time I see them.
I agree with everything said – the view under the arch used to give me a thrill every time I saw it and now we’ve “Shot ourselves in the foot” AGAIN! Would Manchester, or any other city have ruined such a wonderful view by building a black monstrosity … I don’t think so! Shame on those who voted for it!!!
Nice buildings, wrong place. Just what this city needs, more apartments and office space to go with the already vacant spaces that litter the city.
Hello Colin
Unfortunately the set of photographs proves the point that a grave mistake was made destroying the magnificent view of the Three Graces from the south docks. For shame. The May 2010 view is (sorry) an abomination.
Chris
Agree with all the comments above. As an exiled Liverpolitan I visited the city in July this year and was saddened and angry by the destruction of the views and space at the Pier Head and the Albert Dock. Looking at it with the eyes of an outsider my friend and I had to ask what on earth possessed the decision makers when they thought that this development would “grace” the waterfront. I actually quite like the black monstrosity – but not there! Have lately been reading a lot about Liverpool’s history and development – especially the 18th & 19th C and early 20th C – and can’t help wondering how so called “experts” of the later 20th & 21st C manage to get it so wrong so often and so badly. Suppose the only saving grace (no pun intended) is the the Fourth Grace didn’t make it.
By the way, great website – now Bookmarked.
At 20 years old i should be use to these changes that the city council have made on our once great city, which is now to packed with to many building that have destroyed the whole look of liverpool, as the buildings are made of stone not horrible black glass!!! i once loved my city were i was born and bred but i’m now ashamed to say I’m from liverpool the way it is now!
Its a real pity they didnt digitally do it on there computers first as they would off seen what a mess they have made!
It’s impossible to disagree with the comments above. There again, I am old enough to believe that the destruction of the old floating landing stage at the Pier Head, one of the ‘wonders of my world’ was when the rot set in! As an exiled scouser I sometimes despair at the destruction of the city’s great heritage – its like throwing away the family silver. Cities, like life, have got to move forward, but real progress starts with an appreciation of what is good about what you already have, of what needs to be protected and in what way.
” When you desecrate something that has been treasured by generations you rob future generations of the treasure”.