Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Liverpool, United Kingdom 2012–2015
Client: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Grade II* listed RIBA National Award
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is a much-loved listed building from 1939, designed by leading Liverpool architect Herbert Rowse. The Art Deco manner of the building was strongly influenced by the contemporary work of the celebrated Dutch architect Willem Marinus Dudok. Caruso St John was appointed to renovate the interiors of the hall, improve backstage facilities, and to make a second performance space within a new extension at the rear of the site.
The work to the front of house does not aim to return the building to its original state, but introduces more intense colours and discrete interventions—such as the new bar—to raise the intensity of the interior and to match the spirit of the lost detail. The new extension at the rear of the listed building has a festive and unified spirit like the Rowse building. A wide corner window, an extravagant marquee, bold posters and signage lend an urban quality to the new venue, projecting the dynamism of the Philharmonic’s programme to the surrounding city.
The project was approached as three interrelated parts. In the front of house, the existing public rooms were lightly restored; discreet interventions addressed functional shortcomings and refreshed the interiors of the Hall. The auditorium and stage areas required more substantial measures to tackle inadequacies; stage machinery, house and production lighting, and environmental services were completely replaced within the existing interior architecture. The backstage facilities, offices, and second performance space were the most radically changed; an existing rear extension was replaced with a larger new building.








Related news
Award
RIBA National Award 2017
Caruso St John Architects' project for the restoration and extension of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall has won an RIBA National Award.
Award
RIBA Awards 2017
Caruso St John's projects for the Heong Gallery at Downing College, Cambridge, and the refurbishment and extension of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall have won RIBA Awards.
Credits
Location
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Date
2012–2015
Client
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Heritage
Grade II* listed
Construction cost
£8.5m
Area
6,800 m²
Caruso St John Architects
Adam Caruso, Peter St John
Project architects
Nina Lundvall (2012-2014), Anna Cooke (2015)
Project team
Elseline Bazin, Stefan Hurrell, Emily Keyte, Sam Little, Paul Maich, Amy Perkins, Will Pirkis, Lea Prati, Fabian Schnider, Mircea Vasvari, Stephanie Webs
Structural engineer
Price & Myers LLP
Services consultant
Max Fordham LLP
Cost consultant
Simon Fenton Partnership LLP
Project manager
Deloitte LLP
Main contractor
Gilbert-Ash Ltd
Photography
Hélène Binet
Awards
RIBA National Award
RIBA North West Award
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