Mann Island RIBA North 53.4038°N 2.9943°W
Construction of the buildings, which are similar in height to the nearby Port of Liverpool Building, Cunard Building and Royal Liver Building began in 2008 during Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture (when regeneration within the city centre was at its peak).
At the same time, work also began on a close neighbour to the Mann Island development - the Museum of Liverpool (not to be confused with World Museum Liverpool). Although the buildings have different heights and usage, each consists of 13 storeys.
The Mann Island Buildings are home to 376 apartments (a mix of one, two and three bedroom), 75,000 sq ft (7,000 m2) of retail/leisure units, 114,000 sq ft (10,600 m2) of net office space and 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) of covered space.
"Mann Island has been a fantastic opportunity for Broadway Malyan to showcase our passion for design and commitment to creating a high-quality built environment."
The fully occupied office building offers 13,080m² of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accommodation, including a generous south-facing roof terrace that provides a secure outdoor breakout space. Designed for full accessibility, the office spaces exceed DDA requirements in many aspects of the scheme.
The scheme incorporates three new major public spaces and a pedestrian footbridge designed to reconnect Liverpool’s city centre to its historic waterfront. The third of these new spaces is a south-facing canal basin creating a sheltered waterside leisure destination which forms a key part of the re-animation of the waterfront.
Situated between the ‘Three Graces’ and Albert Dock, Mann Island is a RIBA award-winning mixed-use development that reconnects Liverpool’s city centre with its historic waterfront. The scheme transforms a previously enclosed dockland, featuring two 14-storey residential buildings and a 12-storey BREEAM ‘Excellent’ commercial building. It also includes 7,295m² of retail and leisure space at ground level, further enhancing the revitalisation of the waterfront.
The two sculpted residential wedges echo the geometry of Mann Island and the Graving Docks, with their profiled roofscapes preserving key views of the historic Pier Head buildings. In contrast, the linear commercial building aligns with the geometry of the Strand and the city grid beyond.
The granite facades establish a civic scale, with diamond-cut polished Shanxi absolute black granite and glass cladding complementing the dock water while contrasting with the pale stone of the historic Pier Head buildings. Like the dock water, the polished granite reflects the textures and details of its historic surroundings, giving the building a dynamic and ever-changing appearance.
The courtyard-style residential buildings house 376 dual-aspect apartments, thoughtfully designed to accommodate a diverse range of age groups and families. Many feature spacious, private roof terraces, while those overlooking the courtyard have well-defined, secure balcony areas.
The fully occupied office building offers 13,080m² of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accommodation, including a generous south-facing roof terrace that provides a secure outdoor breakout space. Designed for full accessibility, the office spaces exceed DDA requirements in many aspects of the scheme.
The scheme incorporates three new major public spaces and a pedestrian footbridge designed to reconnect Liverpool’s city centre to its historic waterfront. The third of these new spaces is a south-facing canal basin creating a sheltered waterside leisure destination which forms a key part of the re-animation of the waterfront.
Each of the three spaces has been designed to suit a different purpose; the space adjacent to the canal offers a sheltered south-facing space for dining and leisure-focused activities, the Winter Garden, a covered public realm providing an informal event and exhibition space whilst the third space opens up the George’s dock passage and provides an orientation and meeting space.
RIBA North is a new architecture centre for the North of England, situated within the Mann Island complex. The centre includes the RIBA’s first museum standard gallery outside of London, showcasing its world-class collection of drawings, photographs and models. Accessed via the covered glazed Winter Garden, RIBA North’s 1,350m two-tier design sits within the central block.
