The Mann Island Buildings are a group of buildings in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
They comprise three
international style mixed use buildings on
Mann Island
Mann Island is a small area in Liverpool, England. It lies on the waterfront next to the River Mersey between the Albert Dock to the south and the Pier Head to the north.
History
Mann Island was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries as part ...
, which lies on the waterfront between the
Port of Liverpool Building
The Port of Liverpool Building (formerly Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Offices, more commonly known as the Dock Office) is a Grade II* listed building in Liverpool, England. It is located at the Pier Head and, along with the neighbouring Roya ...
and the
Albert Dock Albert Dock may refer to:
*Albert Dock, Hull, in Kingston upon Hull, England
*Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, a dock and warehouse system in Liverpool, England
*Royal Albert Dock, London
The Royal Albert Dock is one of three docks in the Royal ...
. No.1 building is owned by
Merseytravel
Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive, responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transpor ...
although several floors are leased out to other
companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
Background
Formerly rundown warehouses and dock buildings, the site directly between two of Liverpool's most historic buildings was heavily investigated before numerous proposals for new builds were submitted as part of a competition to create a '
Fourth Grace
The Fourth Grace was a planned development to be built on the Liverpool Pier Head, as a part of the Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008 bid.
The project name was derived from its location adjacent to the three historic buildings at the ...
'.
Three proposals were submitted, all of which received criticism for their appearance and contrast to the city's famed historic skyline.
The work of Alsop Architects was chosen to become the 'Fourth Grace', however, it was beset with difficulties, and was cancelled in 2004 due to spiralling costs. It was only after all of these ideas were scrapped when the
£120 million Mann Island Development was chosen to become the new complex to occupy the site.
The project
Construction of the buildings, which are similar in height to the nearby Port of Liverpool Building,
Cunard Building
The Cunard Building is a Grade II* listed building in Liverpool, England. It is located at the Pier Head and along with the neighbouring Royal Liver Building and Port of Liverpool Building is one of Liverpool's ''Three Graces'', which line the ...
and
Royal Liver Building
The Royal Liver Building is a Grade I listed building in Liverpool, England. It is located at the Pier Head and along with the neighbouring Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building is one of Liverpool's '' Three Graces'', which line the ...
began in 2008 during Liverpool's year as
European Capital of Culture (when regeneration within the city centre was at its peak). At the same time, work also began on a close neighbour to the Mann Island development - the
Museum of Liverpool
The Museum of Liverpool in Liverpool, England, tells the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflects the city's global significance. It opened 2011 as newest addition to the National Museums Liverpool group replacing the former Museum of L ...
(not to be confused with
World Museum Liverpool
World Museum is a large museum in Liverpool, England which has extensive collections covering archaeology, ethnology and the natural and physical sciences. Special attractions include the Natural History Centre and a planetarium. Entry to the ...
). Although the buildings have different heights and usage, each consists of 13 storeys.
The Mann Island Buildings are home to 376 apartments (a mix of one, two and three bedroom), of retail/leisure units, of net office space and of covered space.
[
]
The buildings
The three buildings are to the south of the Mann Island
Mann Island is a small area in Liverpool, England. It lies on the waterfront next to the River Mersey between the Albert Dock to the south and the Pier Head to the north.
History
Mann Island was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries as part ...
roadway, opposite the Port of Liverpool Building
The Port of Liverpool Building (formerly Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Offices, more commonly known as the Dock Office) is a Grade II* listed building in Liverpool, England. It is located at the Pier Head and, along with the neighbouring Roya ...
, and are numbered (from east to west) No.1, No.11 and No.15 Mann Island.
No.15, next to the Museum of Liverpool
The Museum of Liverpool in Liverpool, England, tells the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflects the city's global significance. It opened 2011 as newest addition to the National Museums Liverpool group replacing the former Museum of L ...
, is called the ''Latitude building'' and No.11 is the ''Longitude building''. Connecting the two is a double-height glass atrium called ''Equator House'' which often hosts RIBA
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
architectural displays and launch events for the Open Eye Gallery
Open Eye Gallery is a photography gallery and archive in Liverpool, UK that was established in 1977. It is housed in a purpose-built building on the waterfront at Mann Island, its fourth location.
Open Eye Gallery comprises an exhibition space ...
next-door. Both ''Latitude'' and ''Longitude'' are mixed commercial and residential spaces, with restaurants, cafés and galleries on the ground floor, and accommodation starting on the 2nd floor. There is a gap in the 1st floor, that was originally meant to be a mezzanine for the commercial spaces below, but this has now been adapted as private open plan office and co-working space. No.1 Mann Island, next to the Strand
Strand may refer to:
Topography
*The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a:
** Beach
** Shoreline
* Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida
Places Africa
* Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa
* Strand Street ...
, is occupied almost entirely by Merseytravel
Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive, responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transpor ...
and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) is the combined authority of the Liverpool City Region. The Liverpool City Region includes the City of Liverpool local authority area plus the Metropolitan Boroughs of Knowsley, St Helens, ...
. Two levels of car-parking extend beneath the ''Latitude'' and ''Longitude'' buildings, which is shared between residents and Merseytravel staff.
Mann Island is home to the RIBA North gallery, opened in 2017.
Reception
Critical response to the development has been mixed. Alistair Sutherland (designer of Preston Crown Court
Preston Crown Court or more properly the Crown Court at Preston is a criminal court in Preston, Lancashire, England. The court is based on two sites in the city; Preston Combined Court Centre on Ringway and Sessions House on Lancaster Road. A firs ...
and panel member of LUDCAP) declared it "a positive contribution" to the waterfront, and "a complementary contrast" to its neighbours; others have been more critical.[ The '' Daily Post'' in particular lamented the loss of several key views of the Pier head World Heritage Site.
In 2012, it was nominated alongside the ArcelorMittal Orbit and Belfast's Titanic museum for the ]Carbuncle Cup
The Carbuncle Cup was an architecture prize, given annually by the magazine ''Building Design'' to "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months". It was intended to be a humorous response to the prestigious Stirlin ...
, an architecture prize given annually by the magazine ''Building Design
Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less complica ...
'' to "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months."
In 2015 Mann Island scooped a RIBA North West award.
Gallery
File:Dock Office Reflection 2.jpg, Reflection of the Port of Liverpool Building in No.15 Mann Island (Building 1)
File:Mann_Island_Buildings.jpg, Structural cores of No. 1 (Building 3) exposed during construction
File:Mann island under construction.jpg, The framework of No.11 (Building 2)
File:Mann Island, March 2009.jpg, Nos. 15 and 11 (Buildings 1 and 2) with a largely complete exterior
See also
* Fourth Grace
The Fourth Grace was a planned development to be built on the Liverpool Pier Head, as a part of the Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008 bid.
The project name was derived from its location adjacent to the three historic buildings at the ...
* List of tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool
This list of the tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool ranks high-rise structures in Liverpool, England, by height (buildings in the wider Liverpool Urban Area are listed separately within the article). The tallest building in Liverpo ...
References
{{Liverpool B&S
Buildings and structures in Liverpool
Redevelopment projects in Liverpool