Description

The public realm works cover an area extending from Bold Street in the north to Lydia Ann Street in the south and from Hanover Street in the west to Berry Street in the east. The area is characterised by a network of narrow streets and small-scale spaces creating a fine urban grain. The street pattern has a strong east west orientation derived from the historical function of the area as a link between the Old Dock and the City. New attempts have been made to improve the north south permeability through the selective demolition of poor quality existing buildings to increase the number of links perpendicular to the east - west street pattern. These links are generally pedestrian only and have been located to provide better access to nodes of activity. Two examples of this are Ropewalks Square, a new space linking Bold Street with Wood Street and the new arts building FACT, and a new link from Walstenholme Square providing easy access between Cream nightclub and the main vehicular route through the site, Duke Street.

The treatment of the streets has been kept simple and uncluttered with the layout and material selection responding to the street's function within an overall hierarchy of routes. Duke Street and the other two-way vehicular route, Seel Street have an asphalt carriageway with yorkstone flags used along the footpaths. Pedestrians have been given greater priority over much of the rest of the road network and a combination of granite sets and yorkstone flags are used with kerbs either raised or set flush depending on the levels of vehicular use.

Street furniture is restricted to bespoke designed bollards to control on-street parking where necessary, with light fittings mounted to the walls. Tree planting is restricted to the new urban squares.

Six new squares have been created in all. These have provided greater scope than the surrounding streets for variations in surface treatment (most notably the use of French limestone and marble) and the inclusion of planting, street furniture and public art. The new squares have been located in key locations to create nodes of activity that relate to the adjacent buildings. For instance Wolstenhome Square is next to Cream nightclub and acts as a post-club space, packed with revelers on a weekend. A huge 'spaced-out' sculpture 'Penelope' relates well with its context and the arrangement of the space allows taxis to turn around. Other new spaces include St Peter's Square, Campbell Square and two new squares within a recently built development in the south east of Rope Walks, which includes the Liverpool Community College.

Local artists/craftsmen have designed much of the co-ordinated street furniture including the bollards, groups of block seats and bins. Artists were also commissioned to produce a series of 'stand-alone' art works, which are located in the new urban squares. Campbell Square contains a sculpture called 'The Seed' by Stephen Broadbent and the link space between Bold Street and FACT features a work called Metroscopes. These five circular LED displays mounted a top tall steel posts have a constantly changing display that represents what's being said across the world about Liverpool and its four twin cities - Odessa, Dublin, Shanghai and Köln.