National Museums Liverpool has issued a tender for masterplanners to transform its waterfront estate into a modern visitor attraction.
NML want “to create an outstanding visitor destination” that connects Liverpool’s waterfront with the city, the River Mersey and its architecture.
The project focuses on NML waterfront museums and property, including The Merseyside Maritime Museum, The International Slavery Museum, Border Force National Museum, and The Museum of Liverpool.
The affected area, around the Canning Graving Docks, is at the heart of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site, taking in the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool on one side and the Pier Head and Mann Island on the other.
The organisation will commission a team of consultants to assist in creating a masterplan for the site and surrounding buildings.
Mairi Johnson, NML’s director of estates, said: “The masterplan is an ambitious undertaking that will dramatically change the visitor experience when it is complete.
“Liverpool’s waterfront is not only a beautiful space but also one of huge historic significance to the city, the wider region and the rest of the UK. This is an exciting opportunity to create spaces for visitors to linger within this unique setting and to really engage with the spirit of the place.
Creating an ‘outstanding visitor destination’
“We’re expecting this tender process to attract really creative thinkers and exciting plans, inspired by the beauty and potential of the area.
“We hope to see interesting ways in which we can open up the quaysides, currently not accessible to the public, with a strong, connected vision for how these spaces could be used to complement the amazing stories we tell in the nearby museums.”
The deadline for submissions April 1, with NML looking to appoint and start working with the chosen team by May.
The initial masterplanning contract will be worth up to £80,000 and is expected to underpin a 10-year series of works.
National Museums Liverpool welcomed 3,305,671 visitors across its eight locations in 2017/18, the group’s highest ever annual attendance.
Image: NML
