IMAGES revealing the Liverpool that never was are to form a fascinating debut exhibition when the city’s newest national gallery-standard building opens in August.

RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects, is creating a new national architecture centre, RIBA North, at Mann Island on Liverpool’s waterfront in Liverpool.

It will become a major hub for architects, with galleries and exhibitions fully opened to the public. It will also offer talks and tours and a new café and shop selling items from the world of design.

To celebrate its new base, ironically within a building that was nominated in 2012 for Carbuncle Cup as one of the worst buildings to be constructed, an all new exhibition is to be staged.

'Liverpool: Mover, Shaker, Architecture Risk Taker’ will show designs for a Liverpool that were never built.

Student design for a bridge over St James Cemetery, Liverpool by Stirrat Johnson-Marshall, 1931-2Student design for a bridge over St James Cemetery, Liverpool by Stirrat Johnson-Marshall, 1931-2

RIBA says as well as offering a vision of an alternative Liverpool that could have been, drawings and illustrations will reveal much about the process of the city’s development, and celebrate Liverpool’s long, often maverick history of architectural ambition,  its willingness to take risks and be open to transformation.

The show will feature drawings, models and watercolours, some from the 1700s, from RIBA’s vast collections, many  of them never been on display before.

Panorama proposal for the layout of the city centre, Liverpool by Shankland Cox Partnership, c.1963Panorama proposal for the layout of the city centre, Liverpool by Shankland Cox Partnership, c.1963

They include extraordinary un-built proposals for the city’s Anglican Cathedral by Sir Charles Nicholson and Philip Webb; a radical scheme, by Sir Denys Lasdun from 1959 for the Catholic Cathedral site and a bold vision for a new skyline by Graeme Shankland from the 1960s after two thirds of the city’s buildings were declared to be obsolete.

Visitors will be able to watch a newly commissioned film, reflecting on Liverpool’s architectural audacity, its willingness to consider unconventional schemes and how this has resulted in the dramatic and celebrated skyline we see today.  The exhibition will continue until December 23, though an actual opening date has yet to be confirmed. It is likely to be mid to late August.

Competition design for Exchange buildings, Liverpool by Cuthbert Brodrick, 1863Competition design for Exchange buildings, Liverpool by Cuthbert Brodrick, 1863

A RIBA spokesman said: “The new cultural destination will offer perspectives on the built environment to architecture and design enthusiasts, families, students and professionals. At its heart is a new gallery, which will host a bold programme of exhibitions and offer the opportunity to view the historic RIBA Collections, the nation’s richest resource of architecture drawings, photographs and prints, dating from the late 15th century to the present day.

 

Sketch design for the Roman Catholic cathedral, Liverpool: perspective from south east, by Sir Edwin Lutyens, 1932Sketch design for the Roman Catholic cathedral, Liverpool: perspective from south east, by Sir Edwin Lutyens, 1932

RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “By opening a new national architecture centre in the north, RIBA is affirming our commitment to strengthening our cultural and creative offering across the UK, giving opportunities for many more people to explore the enormous impact that architecture and design has on our lives.

“The new exhibition gallery, with museum conditions, will offer a magnificent opportunity to display RIBA’s historic collections, telling hundreds of years of the UK’s extraordinary architectural history.”

RIBA Norths HQ is in the controversial Mann Island building which was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in 2012 RIBA North's new HQ is in the controversial Mann Island building which was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in 2012

RIBA North is at Mann Island which was designed by Broadway Malyan and won a RIBA North West Award for architecture in 2015.

A selection of the exhibits released by RIBA give a sneak preview of what the debut show will include.

The centre will also become the new home of the famous model of Liverpool city centre which has been viewed thousands of times at various  exhibitions over more than 40 years.

The exhibit has been upgraded to include buildings that have changed the city’s famous skyline in the past decade or so.

Competition design for a A City Church and Seamens Memorial, Liverpool by Geoffrey Pell Dawson, 1947 Competition design for a 'A City Church and Seamen's Memorial', Liverpool by Geoffrey Pell Dawson, 1947
Competition design for Roman Catholic cathedral, Liverpool: elevation, by Denys Lasdun, 1959Another competition design for Roman Catholic cathedral, Liverpool: elevation, by Denys Lasdun, 1959