Pioneering study by University of Liverpool brings together global experts
National Museums Liverpool has partnered with University of Liverpool’s Heritage Institute and Octopus Associates to develop the £1 Billion* Initiative.
The Heritage Institute, working alongside a consortium of leading cultural partners including Historic England and World Monuments Fund, together with scholars from the US, Oman, and Africa, will conduct a landmark study into the social and cultural value of National Museums Liverpool’s Waterfront Transformation Project.
This research will pioneer new methods to assess and evidence the project’s impact, demonstrating its potential to deliver cumulative social value exceeding £1 billion. It will highlight the transformative national and international significance of the development, positioning Liverpool and the UK at the forefront of heritage-led regeneration.
The £1 Billion* Initiative will evaluate the impact of cultural heritage to engender community pride, attract international visitors, stimulate creative industries, and deepen global connections. It will pioneer new methods and assessment techniques to act as an important global pilot for valuing cultural and heritage assets, challenging the perception of culture as a soft power.
National Museums Liverpool’s Waterfront Transformation Project aims to link storytelling, heritage, community and hospitality to create a rich visitor experience and be a catalyst for social and environmental improvements in the area.
A landmark project, it will reimagine the space between the Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island, reconnecting local communities and breathing new life into one of the waterfront’s most historic and culturally rich areas.
At its heart, the redevelopment of International Slavery Museum and the Maritime Museum will serve as both the cornerstone of the transformation and the ideal case study for the £1 Billion* Initiative.
Professor Soumyen Bandyopadhyay, Director of the University of Liverpool’s Heritage Institute said: “The Heritage Institute is committed to playing a pivotal role in addressing global imbalances to ensure social and cultural justice. Imbalance in heritage benefits derived by different social groups is perhaps one that is most prominent. Thus, for us, understanding the true dimension of the social value generated through heritage, redevelopment and cultural initiatives is central to restoring the central role of heritage in our societies.”
Vicky Smith, Executive Director, National Museums Liverpool said: “In many ways we already have a good understanding and appreciation for the profound value of this project, thanks to our continuous dialogue with the people and communities we are working with to build it. However, the rigour and scope of University of Liverpool’s work provides deeper insight, further metrics and significant validation. We enter RIBA 4, an important milestone as the concept drawings for International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum are developed into detailed, technical designs, with renewed belief in these museums and their rightful place not only in Liverpool’s cultural landscape but their national and international significance too.”
Led by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios), the redevelopment of International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum will sensitively respond to the existing Grade I-listed buildings: Hartley Pavilion and Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building (previously the Dock Traffic Office).
A monumental new entrance for International Slavery Museum will be worthy of its position as the only national museum in the world dedicated to transatlantic slavery and its legacies. This bold and striking intervention on the historic landscape, responds directly to community stakeholder feedback for designs to feature not only an accessible front door but one that also claims its rightful place on Liverpool’s waterfront.
A new contemporary link bridge will connect Hartley Pavilion and the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building and create a ‘pause-point’ with panoramic views across the docks, where visitors might consider how the stories within the galleries relate to the place they currently stand.
International Slavery Museum will become a home to the National Centre for Teaching Black History. The re-developed second floor of Dr Martin Luther King Junior Building will be dedicated to the learning outputs and outcomes of the centre and its programming will connect with collections and representation across all National Museums Liverpool’s museums and galleries.
Ralph Appelbaum Associates are leading on the exhibition design for both museums and the project will see new galleries, as well as shared spaces for community uses, research, learning and events.
The Maritime Museum will see significant regeneration and enable the museum to show a more comprehensive and coherent vision of Liverpool’s maritime story. A new entrance will create a more welcoming arrival for visitors, new galleries will explore conflict, global connections and migration, while the popular ‘Titanic and Liverpool’ gallery will be revitalised.
Both museums are due to reopen in 2029.