Mersey Basin Campaign Blog

Mersey Observatory @ RENEW Rooms today

Today sees the second open forum session on the Mersey Observatory designs. Today's chance to meet the steering group and discuss the designs takes place at the RENEW Rooms, Wood Street, Liverpool city centre, between 12-2pm. I'm attending the sessions and will be live-blogging about it here. I can't wait to see what people have to say.......

Mersey Observatory - the shortlisted designs for Crosby's radar tower replacement

The new Mersey Observatory will offer the chance to see for yourself unrivalled panoramic views of the Mersey, the docks and shipping on the river, surrounding beaches and wildlife, and the city of Liverpool. But what will the building itself look like? Here's a taster of the five shortlisted designs - for more information you'll need to visit the public exhibitions (see below for details):

Duggan Morris Architects

Ellis Williams Architects

Farrel and Clark Architects

Phos Architects

Studio 8 Architects

Mersey Observatory Design Competition

(picture (c) Colin McPherson, 2007)

The hottest ticket on Merseyside right now is undoubtedly the chance to see the shortlisted designs for the new Mersey Observatory. The proposed replacement for the existing radar tower at Crosby has been the subject of an international design competition, which drew 92 entries from around the world. The field has now been narrowed to five contenders, and all their ideas are currently on show at three venues in the area until 28th February:

Crosby Library (Crosby Rd North, Waterloo)
Mon, Wed, Fri 9.30am-8.00pm
Tue 9.30am-5.00pm
Thu, Sat 9.30am-1.00pm

RENEW Rooms (Tea Factory, 82 Wood Street, Liverpool)
Mon-Fri 9.00am-5.00pm
Sat-Sun closed

Seacombe Ferry Terminal (Victoria Place, Seacombe, Wallasey)
Mon-Fri 7.00am-7.30pm
Sat-Sun 8.30am-7.30pm

If you'd like to meet the steering group, or comment on the designs, why not pop along to one of the open forum sessions: CROSBY LIBRARY - 18TH FEBRUARY, 4.30pm-6.30pm / RENEW ROOMS - 20TH FEBRUARY, 12.00pm-2.00pm / SEACOMBE FERRY TERMINAL - 21ST FEBRUARY, 4.30pm-6.30pm.

There'll also be a live blog on this site of the session at the RENEW Rooms on 20th February.

In the news...

I am reliably informed that the Mersey Observatory project is covered on the front page of the Crosby Herald today.  You can read the story here - let me know what you think...

Local consultation

Iain Taylor from the Mersey Basin Campaign presented the project idea to the Church Ward Forum meeting on the 9th January and the Crosby Area Committee meeting on the 24th January 2007.  On both occasions there was a positive response to the project - even on suggestions of a new tower that would attract visitors.

January 2007 update

Welcome to the first blog update on the Mersey Observatory Project.  Just to recap - AMION Consulting Limited were appointed in December 2006 to lead a team of consultants including TaylorYoung (architects), Turner and Townsend (cost consultants), Faber Maunsell (transport and access), and Locum (tourism experts).

AMION are producing a feasibility for the project, this will be complete by the end of February 2007.

The project is being led by the Mersey Basin Campaign and is supported by a steering group of stakeholders, including: Peel Ports (or Mersey Docks and Harbour Company), NWDA, Waterloo Residents' Association, Liverpool Biennial, Mersey Waterfront, and Sefton Borough Council.