MIPIM | Sciontec takes Hemisphere back to brick
The 150,000 sq ft lab-led scheme at Liverpool’s Paddington Village has been given a makeover, with the aluminium facade replaced with a more traditional aesthetic.
Developer Sciontec unveiled the change at MIPIM. The shift in design approach has been described by Robert Hopkins, director at AHR Architects as a “genuine homecoming”.
“Liverpool’s architectural ideas shaped New York, and now we’re bringing that evolved language back where it belongs,” he said.
“The brickwork references the two hemispheres of the brain: the upper floors, home to the laboratories, express the frontal lobe – the place of detection and discovery.
“Below, the workplace floors reflect the temporal lobe, where detection becomes understanding and ideas become reality.”
It is understood the switch to brick would see Hemisphere become the one of the largest brick-built commercial schemes since the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, constructed in 1901.
Main contractor Morgan Sindall will employ up to 60 bricklayers for the project, which has a target completion date of 2028 but is yet to start on site.
The original scheme had a more contemporary aesthetic. Credit: Sciontec
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region and a former brickie, said: “Bricklaying is a discipline particularly close to my heart, so I’m obviously delighted to hear that this vital trade skill will be front and centre on this project.
“It is especially exciting to see this latest update announced during an important week, as we showcase our strengths and investment potential at MIPIM.”
Hemisphere, which comprises two buildings within the city’s Knowledge Quarter, is one of several schemes the Liverpool City Region is promoting at MIPIM as part of its £11bn pipeline. The development is seen as critical to providing in-demand lab sapce for the city’s life sciences sector.
Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Sciontec, said: “The project is a key step in the regeneration of Liverpool, completing Paddington Village and continuing the expansion of Liverpool’s now globally renowned KQ Liverpool innovation district.
“[It will] will also help to unlock inward investment in life sciences in Liverpool, attracting new global players in science and tech into the Liverpool City Region, bringing new innovation and creating higher-value jobs.”
