The new museum is dedicated to the history of this famous British city and port, its role in the development of world shipping, as well as its undoubted influence on the musical culture of the 20th century (perhaps the most solid section tells about the Beatles). The building was built in one of the most famous districts of Liverpool - the so-called Albert Dock, protected by UNESCO, therefore very high requirements were initially imposed on its project. In particular, the building was supposed to have a modern shape and a memorable silhouette, but at the same time not to conflict with the existing panorama of the coastal development and not to block the views of the most famous sights of the city, also known under the general name "Three Graces".
The competition for the best project of the new museum was held in 2004, and the international jury unanimously awarded the victory to the Danish bureau 3XN, who decided the museum complex in the form of two rectangular sockets in cross-section, oriented in different directions and hanging over the embankment of the Mersey River with consoles. The latter seem to be very large, however, looking closely, you realize that this is only a visual effect - the space on the ground floor under them is completely glazed.
Oriented horizontally and faced with a light stone, the building resembles a ship and due to this it looks especially appropriate in the panorama of the port city. It is interesting that its side facades are completely identical: the ends of the consoles are beveled and decorated with large stained-glass windows, and at the level of the first floor there are triangular pedestrian plazas that literally "draw" visitors inward by their shape. In the design of public areas of the museum, the central vestibule with a round atrium stands out - the white spiral of the main staircase echoes the shape of a skylight.
The implementation of this project took 7 long years, during which not everything went smoothly. At some point, the 3XN bureau was even going to give up its authorship, but later returned to work on the construction of the museum complex. With all the conflicts behind us and the building completed, Bureau Chief Kim Herfort Nielsen proudly notes that this is one of the most important and challenging jobs in his company's portfolio. “The creation of the Liverpool Museum required from us the utmost creative concentration and utmost attention to the diverse history of the city, the wishes of its current inhabitants and the rich potential that could glorify it all over the world,” says the architect.
A. M.
