The Vision

The Futurist is one of those buildings that people have fallen in love with, whether because of the beautiful façade, interiors or the special memories that it holds.  As such, reShaped’s proposal retains the existing façade and brings the site back into active use as winter gardens and band rehearsal/performance space, with independent retail and café facilities.

The idea for the winter gardens was inspired by our memories of the Bluecoat garden and the lush, green, apparently secret and contemplative oasis that it offered.  A sheltered place that we could relax in, meet friends and eat our lunchtime sandwiches and where parents could bring their children to play.  We were also particularly intrigued by pictures of trees growing through the roof in The Futurist’s structural report and the greenness and wildlife benefit that these plants could offer Lime Street.

Band Rehearsal rooms, music workshop and independent retail would be located within a three storey timber and glass pod and accessed through the trees via open walkways overlooking the gardens.

The winter garden landscape has been designed as a surprising, flexible and sheltered green space – somewhere that you could wait 10 minutes for your next train, watch informal performances or while away whole days reading a book .

With somewhere as loved as The Futurist, it is essential that the people of Liverpool can input into the design process and have an opportunity to share their memories.  Whilst carrying out our consultation, we would record these stories and express them through the design.  This expression could be through specifying the paving to reflect The Futurist lobby or with the integration of etchings, lettering and images within building, furniture and floor surfaces.

The Lookbook

The Concept

The Design Team

reShaped is a Liverpool based Landscape Architecture practice specializing in the design of places for people to live, work and play.  The practice is particularly adept at integrating development into sensitive settings, public realm and mental health environments

See the next Lime Street Plot proposal