National Museums Liverpool: Waterfront Transformation - Canning Dock

The National Museums Liverpool (NML), comprises of eight museums and galleries across Liverpool City Region, of which four are located in and around the Royal Albert Dock, part of Liverpool’s wonderful waterfront. Visually, it is a stunning location with a powerful heritage narrative that has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. It is NML’s ambition to create a cohesive visitor experience for the waterfront that links story-telling, heritage, community, connectivity, and commercial income.

This competition has been instigated to find a diverse and highly skilled design team with the right approach and ethos, to partner with NML, and deliver a project that, once complete, is acknowledged and recognised for its innovation, inclusion, excellence and delight.

For the avoidance of doubt, this procurement relates to the design team services and not delivery of the development itself.

The transformation of NML’s waterfront project will dramatically enhance the gateway to Liverpool’s waterfront destination, unifying and identifying the whole of the NML waterfront area. The delivered designs will be accessible for all, supporting the knowledge and activities within the museum buildings, capturing and engaging people and becoming a much-loved place, where people from all walks of life feel welcome, respected and included. It will create an animated environment for the benefit of the museums, their visitors and employees of the many business in the area and the city. It will be a catalyst for social and environmental improvements in the area.

The anticipated value of the total development is 15-20m pounds sterling and it is NML's intention, funding permitting, to appoint the winning design team to take the project through to completion, though the scheme will be delivered in phases as funding becomes available.

Once the team has been appointed they will be required to design 1)Public Realm 2)Pedestrian Bridges 3)Animate the Graving Docks and 4)a new waterfront focal point - infrastructure for a temporary or permanent venue.