Alsop Selected for Liverpool Fourth Grace Site

LONDON-Regional Development Agency Liverpool Vision has selected Will Alsop’s design for the ‘fourth grace’ on the city’s waterfront. For most of the 20th century Liverpool’s three landmark buildings–the Liver Building; the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building–were know as the ‘three graces. Now, as part of the city’s bid to become European City of Culture in 2008, an international design competition has been held to find a fourth landmark to join them.

Alsop’s design will be built by Neptune Developments and Countryside Properties. The 610,000-sf complex includes 340 residential units; a 107-room hotel; 90,000 sf of offices and 55,000 sf of retail and leisure space, but public and civic uses are also part of the project with 140,000 sf of museum and gallery space.

The Alsop design overcame competition from three other shortlisted designs by Lord Rogers; Lord Foster and Ted Cullinan. It was the clear winner in a public vote held after all four designs were displayed in a public exhibition in November.