Tate Liverpool names architect for £25m revamp
London-based 6a Architects has landed the contract, beating out Asif Khan, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Witherford Watson Mann for the job.
As the winner of an open competition for the contract, 6a is now charged with transforming the Tate Liverpool gallery spaces into a space that better meets the needs of both artists and visitors.
6a is well-versed in designing cultural spaces, with past projects including the MK Gallery in Milton Keynes and the RIBA National Award-winning South London Gallery Fire Station.
The studio was shortlisted for the 2017 Stirling Prize for its photography studio for Juergen Teller, which also received the RIBA London Building of the Year Award.
Tate Liverpool director Helen Legg said: “I’m excited to embark on a journey with 6a to reimagine what Tate Liverpool can be and how it can best serve the needs of art, artists and our visitors into the future. 6a have an outstanding track record of reworking historic buildings, often in partnership with cultural organisations and I’m confident in their ability to deliver something very special with us in the coming years.”
Stephanie Macdonald, founding director of 6a, said the firm was excited to design the “next chapter” for the museum, which is an 1846 warehouse.
“Liverpool has a unique spirit; Jesse Hartley’s original Royal Albert Dock was one of the most innovative buildings of the industrial revolution,” Macdonald said. “Sir James Stirling’s transformation in the 1980s was a pioneer in the adaptive re-use of industrial heritage for public cultural use.
“Together they offer an incredible starting point from which to develop a new sustainable, social and accessible museum for the future,” she continued.
“We are honoured to have the opportunity to work with Tate Liverpool to imagine how this great museum can once again offer artists and audiences a renewed experience of art reflecting the warmth and energy that this extraordinary city is known for.”
The £25m gallery reimagination scheme is partly funded by Tate Liverpool’s successful bid for £10m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.
Elsewhere on the Liverpool waterfront, National Museums Liverpool is seeking to improve the public realm and visitor experience at Canning Dock. It appointed a design team for that project in September. The design team includes Asif Khan, Sir David Adjaye, Miriam Kamara and Theaster Gates.
This is good news to see the Tate getting upgraded think it`s over 30 years since it opened, I would also like the Tate to take over the old Irish Centre/Wellington Building on Mount Pleasant and operate it as a cultural space, surely they could purchase or lease it from the council.
By Anonymous
This is good, but use a local architect, come on!
By MS
“use a local architect” ? so if one of our local architects gets a commission in London or elsewhere that`s ok is it ? stop being so parochial.
By Anonymous
So, a London based firm appointed for a Liverpool based project, part funded by £10mill levelling up funding. Mmm ironic or what? I wonder when Tate members are going to be informed and what are the implications re access during the redevelopment? Also new Tate Liverpool management seem to think that their policy should be Liverpool or Merseyside based: this is surely the responsibility of the Walker etc. We want to see national and international artists not parochialism.
By Old Hack