Plans drawn up by a Bath firm of architects to redevelop Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum have been given the green light, bringing the £58m project a step closer.
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios) was appointed to lead the architectural design of the major redevelopment on the city’s iconic waterfront earlier this year by National Museums Liverpool.
The transformed museums will centre on people – past, present and future, local, national and international – to create “dynamic, welcoming spaces that meaningfully address contemporary issues”.
Under the redevelopment, there will be a prominent new entrance to the International Slavery Museum through a transformed Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, pitured, that will create an inspiring welcome and a stronger sense of identity.
Internally, the building will become a space for learning and community. A striking iron and glass bridge, pictured, will connect the re-imagined galleries in the existing Hartley Pavilion to the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, offering spectacular views both into and out of the Royal Albert Dock.
The Maritime Museum’s improved visitor welcome and orientation space will enable visitors to appreciate the historic fabric and scale of the building on arrival.
There will also be better circulation for visitors and enhanced commercial facilities, including a shop, café and events spaces.
Those whose lives have been most affected by the histories being told are playing a fundamental role in the development of both museums.
FCBStudios, best known in Bath for its work on the Roman Baths Clore Learning Centre and World Heritage Centre, has been working with key members of the University of Liverpool: School of Architecture, in facilitating community conversations.
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios partner Kossy Nnachetta, pictured, said: “We are excited about the designs; the engagement they encourage and the stories they tell.
“This project – like both museums within it – embodies a determination that our collective and shared history is expressed.
“It boldly addresses themes of restorative justice through space; which is fitting for the first museum in the world dedicated to the transatlantic slave trade. Liverpool, the UK and the world are ready for this.”
National Museums Liverpool also worked closely with a number of organisations on the project, including Historic England, Merseyside Civic Society and Liverpool City Council on the development plans.
Other Bath firms involved in the project include access consultants Buro Happold and heritage consultants Donald Insall Associates while Bristol-based Ridge and Partners is the transport planner.
Both venues will close on 5 January 2025 for work to begin, reopening to the public in 2028
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, which also has offices in London, Manchester and Belfast, was formed more than 40 years ago and today is viewed as one of the UK’s most progressive and ethical architectural practices.
It won the coveted Stirling Prize for Building of the Year in 2008 for its Accordia Housing scheme in Cambridge and has been shortlisted twice – for its extension to the Manchester School of Art in 2014 and last year for its University of Warwick’s Faculty of Arts Building.
