update:
October 2004
The current proposals
are more
substantial than we actually proposed in September, our initial concern
that Concourse Tower was due to be demolished.. and not replaced - has been
unfounded. In fact the new plan recommends a replacement taller tower,
built on sustainable guidelines and of the first order. Excellent news.
If
the new taller tower goes ahead, downtowners can take some credit that our lobbying
on urbanism is sinking in. If not then the excesses of WHS can be blamed!
No detail has been released yet about the number of stories but you can be sure
that if a single storey is lost because of concern over on keeping' and
'conservation areas' we will lobby intensively to have it reinstated.
All urbanists and individuals passionate about Building a City are reminded
to check out the public exhibition in the Liverpool Empire running until
7th October, 11am-7:30pm (Saturday and Sunday, close 4pm) and make your voice
heard. Support the Development. Fight for Quality. Praise the Landmark Tower.
Concourse Tower, Lime Street - An Alternative Vision
News that the demolition
of Concourse Tower in Lime Street has been proposed following the acquisition
of the building by English Partnerships. The leader of the council steps in
to suggest that its removal will allow 'the Victorian splendour' of the station
to be seen [more].
Where these the same Victorians who thought it best to hide the rather mediocre
station frontage in the first instance? See bottom left in this image
link [courtesy 20thCenturyimages.co.uk]
The tower of course
is also adjacent to Lime Street station, not in front of it.
Aerial view Lime St [click2enlarge]
Reproduced by permission, John
Bythell, SJS files
Obscuration? Obfuscation perhaps!
We have consistently
stated the need for Liverpool to have more scale, not less. Each dimunition
of Bigness in the city results in fewer businesses, fewer people, less precedent
in future for increased economic development. You build a town not a city.
The 'ugliness' of the building could be addressed with recladding, investment
in public realm and perhaps adding another 4 stories! Open up the floorplates
and you have some of the best penthouses in Liverpool, facing out onto St George's
plateau and westwards to the river.
Remember the one about the Everton tower block transformed from liability to asset? 'View 146' website
© September 2004, Downtown Liverpool All rights reserved.
Postscript: reproduced here is an earlier, unconnected article by one of our regular public contributirs which is a great article on Concourse House:
'Liverpool Vision
propose to demolish the row of shops in front of Lime Street station and replace
it with what looks like a flight of steps up to
the station. They also intend to reclad Concourse House. I think a reclad Concourse
House is a good idea but I am not too happy about knocking down the shops. Whilst
this single storey block is not a very attractive piece of architecture to have
opposite St Georges Hall, it houses viable businesses that employ people and
encourage people to use the street. I can't see what point there is in a continuous
flight of steps unless the idea is to create a new skateboard park as it will
inevitably become. My suggestion is that the shops be retained but reclad and
signage improved to suit the location. The area on the top of the shop should
then be converted into a pleasant public space by part glazing it over and developing
a restaurant / cafe / bar area. This could be accessible from inside the station
but also to the street via the Lime Street and Skelhorne street station entrances.
This would then
achieve the original intention of the 60s planners of having a public space
on top of the shops that would allow people to sit out and admire the view over
Lime Street of St Georges Hall, and down St. Johns Lane to the Municipal Building
and beyond. This didn't work out in practice as it is a very uninviting area,
windswept and cut off from the main station. With good design, any glazed structure
on top of the shops could enhance the Lime Street elevation of the station.
The end elevation of the glazed train shed would still be exposed but the arches
below could be opened up to improve access from the station. It would also allow
much improved access to Concourse House and increase the size of the station
concourse.
The pedestrian footpath in front of the shops could be made more inviting by
removing the pedestrian subway that leads to the St Johns Centre. It seems odd
to have two pedestrian subways in such proximity and it would be worth investigating
if the subway to Lime Street underground station could also serve as an access
to the St Johns Centre by adding a branch under St Johns Lane. If so, the pavement
in front of the shops could be widened and access into the shopping centre from
Lime Street station much improved.'
© Martin
Sloman