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Client: Liverpool City Council
Architect: Barnes Walker
Contractor: Caddick Construction, Bora Construction and HA Civils

Since it first opened back in October 2017, Liverpool Shopping Park has become one of the UK’s biggest retail and leisure destinations featuring fashion, food and recreation. 

The retail park boasts particularly good connectivity, both locally and regionally, with approximately 1.8 million people living within a 30-minute drive. The yellow-panelled buildings, designed by AEW Architects, are home to several big brands, including Boots, H&M, Smyths, Outfit and JD Sports. 

The brief

Landscape architects Barnes Walker wanted to provide an interesting public space that tied in with the distinctive building cladding to create a real sense of place. 

The re-developed retail park comprises of 41 retail units, together with four restaurants and three leisure units. Some units are double-fronted facing outwards to Edge Lane, and inwards towards the car park. The car park itself consists of 1,680 spaces split over two levels, plus cycle spaces. 

Standout feature

Launch day also saw the unveiling of a new Liver Bird statue at the retail outlet, which is said to be even larger than the famous ones at the Pier Head. 

The sculpture is made from large pieces of Meccano kit, in memory of Frank Hornby and Meccano toys, as his factory used to be located on the site of the new Shopping Park. 

The giant bird was created by artist Emma Rodgers, who also sculpted the Cilla Black statue in Mathew Street. Emma has close connections to the city and is an honorary fellow at Liverpool John Moores University. 

Materials used

This project was the first in the UK to use Hardscape’s unique Kellen ‘Magma’ from within the Kaleido product portfolio, chosen for its colour to match the Magma Granite which is to be used as a focal point outside the cinema and restaurants, which also complemented the bronze building cladding. Other materials included Kellen Liscio Nero paving which complements the stylish overhead lighting on the buildings and Autumn Cream concrete setts together with seven ZVB Elementale concrete benches. 

Conclusions

Hardscape was on hand to advise Barnes Walker on the most innovative products and their suitability for laying patterns, providing detailed feature proposals. The laid patterns, frames and linear features emphasise the building lines perfectly and complement with the unique cladding of the buildings. 

Since opening, Liverpool Shopping Park has established itself as the destination for those looking to shop, eat and have fun with family and friends. The finished result has seen improved roads and links to the new £100million Liverpool Shopping Park, bringing 47 new retail and leisure operators to this part of the city and creating more than 3,000 new jobs. 

Materials used