CONTENTS DIARY OF EVENTS - The Urban Design Group

BOOK REVIEWS
RE-ANIMATING THE WATERFRONT
LIVERPOOL JMU CENTRE FOR ARCHITECTURE, NEARHOS PUBLICATIONS WITH LIVERPOOL JMU, 2003
ISBN 1 901585 03 4
Publications of university project reviews
are a dime-a-dozen. The received wisdom
for these works tends to be a jumble of
(usually) seductive, attractive and yet
uninformative images that signal the end
of a certain stage in the student’s career.
The book is usually glossy, with a large
number of photographs with favoured
students getting large double-page
spreads and the least popular, relegated
to the odd black and white images – if
they’re lucky.
However, what makes this round-up
of architectural projects from Liverpool
40 | Urban Design | Spring 2005 | Issue 94
John Moores University different is
the relevance of its subject matter
and commercial awareness, in that has
secured an impressive list of sponsors
that include, key players in the North
West region such as Grosvenor, English
Partnerships and BDP. There is also an
egalitarian approach, with each student
allocated the same amount of space,
showing the importance attached to
each individual’s work.
The aim of the projects featured,
which is the regeneration of these
historic waterfronts, is handled
intelligently through a variety of uses
ranging from the practical (mixed use,
retail, office, leisure, transport and so on)
to the bizarre, yet imaginative, such as
Gareth Allison’s ‘Survival training centre’.
Images of the various projects
are mainly vibrant, some are bleak
and hauntingly beautiful (Channel 6
television station – Steven Gallagher) and
others playful and quirky (Magistrates
Court – Berta Willisch), yet all show the
energy and enthusiasm of the students
involved, who have clearly enjoyed
working on what was presumably the last
TRANSFORMING BARCELONA
TIM MARSHALL, ROUTLEDGE, 2004, £27.50
ISBN 0 415 28841 X
Barcelona has rightly become renowned
for the work in remaking the city
over the past 25 years. Visitors often
obtain only a limited impression of the
background to the projects and this book
aims to provide a wide coverage of the
governmental, social and cultural issues.
Tim Marshall has assembled a series
of papers that have in the main been
published separately elsewhere and they
provide a wealth of information. The
first and largest section containing eight
of their diploma projects before they are
let loose on the ‘real world’. My only point
of contention is that, in general, the
projects are very much ‘architecture writlarge’
and what is presented at the end is
mainly and I suppose, understandably the
‘sexy’ image, rather than the analysis that
went into producing them.
With the amount of press coverage
that has been given over to the
Liverpool waterfront due to the demise
of Alsop’s ‘Fourth Grace’, the subject of
the book is also both timely and topical,
as even now, it is unclear how Liverpool
re-engages with its neglected and partly
forgotten waterfront. The book does not
ultimately provide a single real solution
as to how that can be achieved but
shows a myriad of possibilities and more
importantly, engages the interest of the
next generation of built environment
professionals.
I shall scan the pages of BD and
AJ to see what the new generation
of Liverpool architects will do in the
coming years.
Sherin Aminossehe
papers describes what has happened
and the factors seen as important by the
various writers include:
• the outstanding plan by Cerda which
continues to influence the city's layout
• the opportunity taken by the city to
host world events such as the Exposicion
in 1929
• the metropolitan plan approved in
1976 ahead of many areas in Spain which
has provided a basis for later work
• the stable political structure from 1979
• design quality placed high on the
agenda and implemented quickly
• the nomination for the Olympics, and
• the opportunity taken to upgrade
infrastructure and reorient the city to
the sea.
Pasqual Maragall, mayor from 1982-97,
contributes an important chapter making
the case for a special charter for the city
(which was never achieved,) and also
relating the city and its metropolitan
area to Catalonia and Spain although
seeing the city as a capital crossing
national boundaries. Oriol Bohigas
provides ten points for an urban
methodology, previously printed in the
AR, but I found the terminology a barrier
and it needed translating to friendlier
but useful terms - many of which are
similar to New Urbanism ideas.
The second section includes two
papers on present and future projects
which include areas adjacent to the two
rivers, as well as the Diagonal, Poblenou
and the Waterfront, part of which is the
2004 Forum development.
The last section provides a critical
perspective of what has happened from a
social, design and ecological viewpoint.
There are many lessons to be learned
from Barcelona and the book provides a
useful summary of the major issues. It is
significant that Maragall is an economist
and had previously worked for the
city council. Many of the contributors
have also served as councillors and are
or have been involved in teaching in
university courses. One could argue that
this cross fertilisation is something that
distinguishes Barcelona from most UK
comparisons with distinctive effect.
John Billingham