New Clarence Street building

08 July 2009

Opening in 2012, it will also provide a new Centre for the Faculty of Business and Law, the Liverpool Screen School, and the University’s new Professional Centre.

Developed on a key strategic site, at the junction of Brownlow Hill and Clarence Street, the building will be a gateway to the Knowledge Quarter and the Mount Pleasant Campus.

The building is designed by ADP Architects, Manchester. The ADP team comprises Joe Morgan, Project Associate and Helen Dore, Project Architect. Helen is a graduate of Liverpool John Moores University.

In responding to the contrasting scales of Georgian terraces and the University Campus the new building forms a defining cornerstone to the new Knowledge Quarter.
With the student experience being at the heart of design, the building provides a diverse range learning environments that places LJMU at the cutting edge of 21st century Higher Education Institutions.

The building will contain a range of high quality teaching spaces. These include three large lecture theatres, IT Suites and a combination of medium sized teaching rooms and seminar spaces. The building will also accommodate the specialised teaching facilities of the Liverpool Screen School.

The University’s new Professional Centre will also be based here. The Centre will provide dedicated facilities for professional clients enrolled on LJMU’s professional education and postgraduate programmes. The Centre will be available for use by all LJMU Faculties and will allow the University to expand its provision of commercial courses and professional postgraduate degree programmes.

Following a detailed evaluation and a recommendation from the Design Team, the existing Clarence St Tower will be demolished.  The new building will be 11,500 sqm approx spanning six floors.  Subject to planning permission, the new building will extend out towards Brownlow Hill, doubling the current amount of floor space. The new build will allow the University to maximise flexibility, allowing the current building line to move, achieving the most efficient distribution of accommodation within the building.

There will be a reorientation of facilities, moving the entrance from Clarence Street to Brownlow Hill. This will ensure greater cohesion and connectivity with the Knowledge Quarter and the Mount Pleasant master plan.

The general staff and teaching accommodation is being designed to maximise flexibility. As far as possible, layouts have been future proofed to ensure that they can be easily adapted for potential future changes in use.

LJMU is aiming to achieve the BRE’s BREAM environmental rating of very good for the new building.

A planning application is scheduled for September. Contractors are due on site in early 2010, with a planned completion for the start of the academic year 2012/13.