Northern Docks Renaissance Urban regeneration in the World Heritage Site of Liverpool Fabián Andrés Lozano Palomino MA Urban Design Newcastle University Northern Docks Renaissance Urban regeneration in the World Heritage Site of Liverpool Fabián Andrés Lozano Palomino MA Urban Design Newcastle University Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 Contents: Page 1. Introduction 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Aims and objectives 3 2. Literature Review 4 2.1 Introduction 5 2.2 The purpose of conservation 5 2.3 Historic development of urban conservation 6 2.4 Urban heritage: opportunity of confinement? 8 2.5 Tourism pressure and commodification of heritage 10 2.6 Case study: The historic centre of Vienna 12 2.7 Conclusion 14 16 3. Site Analysis 3.1 Context 17 3.2 Understanding the heritage of Liverpool 19 3.3 Character areas 27 3.4 Listed buildings and Landmarks 29 3.5 Land uses 31 3.6 Building form and figure - ground 32 3.7 Environmental quality 33 3.8 Movement and connections 34 3.9 Socioeconomics 36 37 4.Design principles 4.1 Vision 38 4.2 Principles 39 4.3 Concept diagram 41 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 4.4 Precedents 42 4.4.1 Porto Maravilha, Rio de Janeiro 42 4.4.2 Inner Harbour, Baltimore 43 4.4.3 Camden Lock, London 43 4.4.4 Paddington Basin, London 44 4.4.5 Ijburg Floating Village, Amsterdam 44 5. Project description 45 5.1 Character areas 47 5.2 Key Buildings and Landmarks 48 5.3 Transport connections 49 5.4 Land uses 50 5.5 Phasing 51 List of references 52 List of figures 54 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 1. Introduction 1 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 1.1 Introduction reputation that the city wants to leave behind. In this context is inscribed this design thesis, which seeks the regeneration “A city is a living, dynamic environment where cultural of the Northern Docks of the waterfront of Liverpool, in a heritage is part of a complexity of relationships.” sector that is part of the World Heritage Site of Maritime Orbasli, 2000 Mercantile City. Most of the cities in the world have growth from different layers of history. Rome is the example par-excellence, where the ruins from the ancient empire are juxtaposed with the renaissance and baroque buildings, which have also witnessed the different changes of the urban fabric though the centuries. Liverpool, although is not as old as Rome, has also experience important changes along its history, from the splendour of the Empire times, to the decline of the post- industrial era, which gave the to the city a not respectable 2 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 1.2 Aims and objectives The main objective of this Thesis is to project a proposal of ▪ To explore the opportunities of recovery that the site has, urban regeneration for the northern area of the Maritime with the purpose of formulating a master plan that Mercantile City of Liverpool, cataloged by UNESCO as rehabilitates and improves the urban conditions of the World Heritage Site in 2004 and which has been at risk since place. 2012. Other specific objectives are: ▪ To recognize the importance and significance of the architectural and urban heritage of Liverpool, understanding its relevance in the urban development of the city. ▪ To analyze the risks and threats that the place is currently facing, considering their causes and impact on the conservation of heritage. 3 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 2. Literature Review 4 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 2.1 Introduction commodification of the past will be discussed, examining the impact that they have on cities and especially on their The following literature review seeks to analyse the complex population. relationship between urban conservation ideas and contemporary development projects promoted in areas of 2.2 The purpose of conservation historical interest. In this framework, it will be examined first Historical areas constitute the representation of urban the question around the objective of urban conservation, memory of the cities. These places keep the material legacy which is considered as an important tool to preserve the of past times, which is manifested in buildings, monuments legacy of the past and transmit it to future generations. Then, and public spaces as symbols of a specific historical moment a briefly review about the historical development of in the urban development of cities (Wang, 2012). Defined in conservation policies emerged since the late nineteenth a similar way by UNESCO (2011): “historic urban areas are century, understanding the factors that led to its appearance among the most abundant and diverse manifestations of our and how they still influence today, analysing later the common cultural heritage, shaped by generations and benefits and difficulties that heritage protection tends to constituting a key testimony to humankind’s endeavours and generate in terms of urban development. Likewise, current aspirations through space and time…” global facts such as tourist overexploitation and 5 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 Considering the importance of historical urban areas as modernization processes were having on the old city was the tangible testimonies of the development of societies over Austrian architect Camillo Sitte, who established that the time, urban conservation is an instrument that allows the aesthetic values of historic centres are determined by the protection of this heritage and its subsequent pass to future relationship between buildings, monuments and public generations (Orbasli, 2000), preserving in this way, the spaces, which can not be understood as separate elements evidence of those cultural and aesthetic values that were the but as a coherent set within the urban fabric (LeGates, R., & expression of a specific period and that are part of the urban Stout, F. 2011; Siravo, 2011). identity of the city (Boussaa, 2017). Cities evolve from these Complementing the work begun by Sitte, in the early traditions and their current appearance is the result of that twentieth century the Scottish planner Patrick Geddes, who overlap through history (Koller, 2013). opposed the developments that involved the demolition of 2.3 The historic development of urban historic urban areas and proposed detailed and analytical studies of the pre-existing conditions of the site, involving all conservation affected stakeholders and seeking solutions through The conservation of heritage on an urban scale has been a concertation that allow protection of the heritage (Siravo, theme that began its development since the late nineteenth 2011). This controversy between the preservation of the century. One of the first theorists to reflect on the impact that historical legacy and the needs for modernization was also 6 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 addressed by Gustavo Giovannoni. In his publication Vecchie città ed edilizia nuova (1913), this Italian architect considers that the historical city is in itself a monument, even proposing the protection of the vernacular architecture that is part of this heritage (Veldpaus, Pereira & Colenbrander, 2013). The publication of the Athens Charter of 1931 marked an important advance in the management of heritage, being the Figure 1. Edinburgh, Scotland. Principles of Patrick Geddes were applied to the conservation of the old town. first document of international applicability in setting After two world wars that left an unprecedented destruction specific guidelines in relation to the preservation and in Europe, the reconstruction processes took different paths. restoration of historical monuments, as well as for the While cities such as Warsaw (Figure 2), devastated almost protection of the urban context where they are located entirely during the Second World War, were reconstructed (Rodwell, 2007). However, at the peak of the modern as faithfully as possible to its original state, others that movement and the postulates of CIAM, the historic city was suffered damage in smaller proportion decided to promote mostly considered as an object of renovation rather than more modern developments (Siravo, 2011). Beginning in the preservation (Veldpaus, Pereira & Colenbrander, 2013). 7 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 1960s, with the publication of the Venice Charter (1964) and the creation of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1965, the conservation of urban heritage took a more comprehensive approach, through the formulation of strategies that allow a holistic management of historical centers, not only in their aesthetic dimension, but also in their socioeconomic dimension. (Veldpaus, Pereira & Figure 2. Old town of Warsaw, Poland. Colenbrander, 2013). In addition, the World Heritage Convention in 1972, the adoption of the European Charter of 2.4 Urban heritage: opportunity or the Architectural Heritage in 1975 and the Washington confinement? Charter in 1987 extended the spectrum of conservation Conservation of historic areas remains a subject of intense policies by adding the concept of sustainability and debate today. For several specialists there is a great adaptability to contemporary needs as a guarantee of potential in the old centres as sites for the development of preservation of the historical legacy to the following economic renewal projects, taking advantage of their generations (Rodwell, 2007, Orbasli, 2000). existing infrastructure and services, their high density and 8 Beneficiario COLFUTURO 2017 the concentration of jobs and the activities in an area rich in However, there are also less optimistic positions regarding their values aesthetic and landscape (Boeri, Gaspari, the benefits that conservation policies represent for cities. Gianfrate, Longo & Pussetti, 2016). This vision is Nasser (2003) argues that the immutable character of sites complemented by authors such as Carrion (2005), who declared as urban heritage is a factor that significantly argues that the historic centre, being a fundamental element conditions their long-term economic viability. This is in the urban structure and space of social integration of the because conservationist regulations are often a limitation for city, is an ideal platform to promote transformation the effective reuse of historic buildings, reducing the processes that continue to contribute to the construction of possibility of attracting new economic activities and thus urban identity.