Member Article

RIBA chooses Liverpool for new gallery centre

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is to open a gallery and conference centre at Mann Island in Liverpool.

RIBA says the gallery will be of museum quality and will also house the organisation’s North West staff.

Located within the UNESCO World Heritage site, the centre will offer conference spaces, café and office facilities for staff. It is due to open late next year.

The Institute commissioned an independent study to look at potential locations across the UK before selecting Liverpool. Mann Island sits next to the Liver Building, The Port of Liverpool Building and The Cunard Building, sometimes referred to as ‘The Three Graces’.

RIBA President Stephen Hodder said the Institute was “committed to engaging the public” and the Liverpool gallery would enhance its ability to do this.

He added: “Its prominent high-footfall location, next to the Three Graces, the new Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool One and the attractions of the Albert Dock will mean we can engage with a much wider audience in the North West.

“We are delighted to have a permanent base in Liverpool that will allow us to share our exhibitions and collections outside London.”

The centre will be created in on the ground and first floors of one of the two striking wedge-shaped apartment buildings at Mann Island, next to the existing Open Eye Gallery.

Local agencies, the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Liverpool Vision all helped to convince RIBA to choose Liverpool.

LEP chair, Robert Hough, said: “The LEP was pleased to support this project from its inception and we are delighted to see it finally come to fruition.

“The fact that RIBA has chosen to establish its architecture centre here speaks volumes for Liverpool’s standing in the architectural world and I am sure it will be a place of pilgrimage for architects from all over the world.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .