Cavern Quarter, Liverpool

Liverpool’s world famous Cavern Quarter is a network of narrow pedestrianised streets. It is a busy tourist and shopping area by day and a hot spot in the city’s night life. Our approach was to resist the temptation to pave the streets in elaborate references to the Mersey Beat, but instead to make a continuous, beautiful and robust surface to intensify the existing character and unify the area. The granite setts are in an attractive mix of dark grey, dark green and black. The streets are flush and uncluttered, making a pedestrian friendly environment that is accessible to all users. It withstands delivery vehicles and the intense cleansing regime. There is a blanket of light overhead, a multitude of small lights suspended over the Cavern Quarter lanes, creating a stunning enhancement to the night time streetscape. The result is the perfect foil to the plethora of diverse activity that fills and surrounds these narrow enigmatic spaces.

Client

Liverpool City Council

Date

2004 to 2007

Team

Faber Maunsell, lead consultant, engineer, lighting design / EC Harris, quantity surveyor