Hidden Liverpool is a yearlong project that will unlock the history behind Liverpool’s empty and largely underused buildings to create a vision for the future.
The Liverpool based Social Enterprise PLACED provides inspiration to young people and aims to increase their knowledge of architecture and the built environment created Hidden Liverpool, bringing an exciting project to Liverpool.
The Lottery Funded enterprise will delve into the history of some of Liverpool’s most beautiful, intriguing and historic buildings and will be working with residents of the city, encouraging them to share their memories of buildings they would have once used or visited. The aim of the project is to provide an accessible way for everyone to share and learn about what lies behind Liverpool’s closed doors, unlocking the city’s history in a new and exciting way before thinking creatively at how empty buildings could be reused.
The ‘People’s City’ Photography competition (here) was the first major event and start of this process of collecting ideas and evoking thoughts of the buildings and our relationships with them and how they could be reused.
The project has also been doing great work with schools across Liverpool, educating pupils about the buildings and setting tasks which again focus on the future use of such sites. Project Officer Carolyn Murray describes it as a ‘social history’ project – for the nature of such a unique and ambitious project which very much epitomizes Liverpool as a ‘people’s city – a city where the residents really care about their history and culture and embrace such a project.
The Albion House (The White Star) is an example of a building rich in history, which until recently, lay empty. The building also known as ‘The Titanic Building’ is an iconic building, as it was here that the names of those who lost their lives on the Titanic were read out from the balcony to the crowd below.It is now to be made into a luxury apartment/hotel thanks to Signature Living (read more here). But Hidden Liverpool are looking at more than simply turning the city’s empty buildings into hotels or living space. They are looking for creative ideas that support the history and culture of the buildings, looking at each individually, giving them the attention they deserve.
Over the next few weeks the Hidden Liverpool team will be busy leading discussions and holding drop in sessions with locals of various ages to collect memories and stories of buildings which may have had a real significance in their lives, or provide interesting stories to be shared with others.
The scope of the project is huge with so many possibilities. As the collection of stories builds there are plans for Walking Tours to take place, most likely across the city centre to share some history and real stories of the buildings.
It’s a project that everyone can get involved in and the more people that do, the bigger and richer the project will be. The team are also looking for volunteers to get involved in the project in various ways. To find out more get in touch with the team here.
For more information follow @Hidden_Liverpool and visit their website here. We will have more information on their upcoming events in the following months.
