Thursday 22 October 2009

Liverpool Hilton.


Not the worst culprit next to its big ugly sister, One Park Worst on Chavasse Park which came 4th in this years Building Design, the architects weekly, Carbuncle Cup Competition. It is never the less than average addition albeit much lower than the neighbour across the lawn.
Liverpool never won the 2009 Sterling Prize and with average architecture like this it is hardly suprising. See how it now conflicts with the Grade I listed Albert Dock (pic during construction). Did no-one at BDP architects who promote themselves as our saviours think of this.The new Novatel opens just down the road that has destroyed the view of the Bluecoat, Did no-one at BDP think of that, http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/bluecoat-tradgedy.html The Bluecoat is Liverpools oldest city cenrte building and was grant aided to 20 million for the privlidge of being homoginised.
This is a view taken from Radio City Tower showing the small green space which is 40 ft in the air. Next to the Hilton is an average Bus Station although described by Beatrice Fraenkal as one of her favourites, it is not that functional, it has no-where to lay-over the buses as the old Paradise Street did. The local press are now being buttered up todays headline is a strange one.


Liverpool’s history is threaded through new Hilton hotel. Strange, really strange. Do they mean that they knocked down the hated 1960s Steers House and built something resembling Steers House only 10 storeys higher. Thats not history. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/22/liverpool-s-history-is-threaded-through-new-hilton-hotel-92534-24987236/
Or does it just mean that the local paps are now to be buttered up by the Hiltons PR company just like what happened with the launch of the Malmaison, in return for feeding us with a rich gooey substance, called, Making it up as you go along?  I see no history there, why invent some for the owners. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/videos-pictures/pictures-of-liverpool/pictures-of-liverpool-news/2009/10/21/first-pictures-of-the-hilton-hotel-liverpool-one-92534-24986400/
Is it just me or does this building resemble Bennetts Associates Edinburgh Rock http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=453&storycode=3151010&channel=783&c=2
which it is said draws on its tradition.

CODA
It was reported that the land that the new Hilton stands was sold by Grosvenor for 20 million pounds while Liverpool City Council had a deficit of...........20 million.

4 comments:

  1. The usual sycophantic garbage from the local press, will they organise another "Group Hug" when everyone realises how crap the Hilton looks ? So our history is "threaded through" the hotel - I think you will find it is buried underneath it. No wonder the Daily Post is on its last legs with reporting like this.

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  2. Yes, I was not going to go that far but Steers Dock is right underneath. The headline should have read exactly the same as when the buried the then intact Manchester Dock at The Pier Head.
    CONCRETING OVER OUR PAST.

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  3. The new bus station does have bus layover space. Makes me question if the author has even been to the area... I agree that One Park West is an eyesore and that the Ferry Terminal is hideous but I don't see anything wrong with the Hilton. Quite a poorly written ariticle altogether!

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  4. Well there is no accounting for taste then. Have you not noticed that it is part of the whole scheme and therefore is in a world heritage site.

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