Four buildings across Merseyside have been shortlisted for a prestigious award after successful developments which champion some of the best architecture in the UK.
RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) North West announced a shortlist of 17 new building projects which will compete to win the RIBA North West award in April.
Among the 17 buildings that have been shortlisted are the new Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, ‘Alder Hey in the Park’, which opened last October, and the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, which underwent a £13.8million refurbishment last year.
The Littlewoods Bunker, the former pools building on Edge Lane which was restored to create offices, has also been chosen, along with Wirral Metropolitan College, the first new development in the £4bn Wirral Waters Scheme.
In 2014 Liverpool’s rebuilt Everyman Theatre won the North West award and then the national RIBA Stirling Prize.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C43g9HtuMAk
Dave Houghton, Project Manager of Alder Hey in the Park, told JMU Journalism: “We found out we were up for this award two weeks before the visit. We were very happy that the result of 13 years of hard work was being identified.”
Over the next few weeks, the RIBA judges will visit the shortlisted buildings across the region, and will decide which one has what it takes to win the award for reflecting changes and innovations in architecture.
Mr Houghton added: “Alder Hey is a hospital that doesn’t look like a hospital and doesn’t feel like a hospital but works brilliantly as a hospital. It has changed the perception of children to hospital visits.
“Winning this award would validate the extreme effort put in by all involved, especially users in pushing forward innovation and fighting to prove that different is good, achievable and cost effective. It will also give the Trust a platform to promote its activity including the developments in research and innovation.”
The winners will be announced at an evening event at Liverpool’s Bluecoat on Wednesday April 20th.