Museum

 

As promised in my previous post here are some shots of the exterior of the Museum of Liverpool which is situated on Liverpool's waterfront alongside the 3 Graces (Port of Liverpool Building, Cunard Building and Liver Building) near the Pier Head which as well as the terminal for the famous Mersey ferries is also a thriving cruise terminal.

I know that not everyone loves this style of architecture and it certainly is a stark contrast to the classical styles of the old waterfront icons. However it is in my opinion quite a stunning building and from every angle it provides some great views. 

I love the way the old Port of Liverpool Building is reflected in the windows in the first image which also shows some of the other fine modern architecture at Mann Island which houses the offices of RIBA and the Open Eye Gallery. I have cropped the final image to highlight the angles of the buildings to show the way they interact with each other, as you move around the building the angles and your line of sight changes so you are always presented with a dramatic view.

Although the exterior of the building is very angular, on the water side of the museum there is a gentle curve to the exterior wall and this is reflected to some extent on the interior where the central stairway is a beautiful spiral. (I will likely share some images of that in one of my next blogs).

A Modern Masterpiece

Here are four views of the marvelous Museum of Liverpool. I know that some people really dislike this building but I think it is an amazing structure although it was incredibly expensive and it leaks so there was some problem with the construction if not the design. It sits on the waterfront alongside the Three Graces and it contrasts and complements the historic architecture.

I really like the black and white images the second one is very like a final render from the architects drawings as it would have been presented to city planners.

Because it is a public building I wanted to get some shots with people in but not so  many that there were crowds distracting from the building itself so I waited to snap a single passer by and then in the final shot the three men had waited patiently to one side while I was taking pictures before the climbed the stairs. When they paused half way up I thought it made an excellent shot and I quickly captured the moment. I hope you agree it works really well.

Old And New Liverpool

While the city was bustling with shoppers seeking bargains in the post Christmas sales I headed down to the waterfront with my youngest son to take some photos of the fine buildings around the docks. 

In the first shot, viewed across Canning Dock you can see (from left to right) the Museum of Liverpool, the Open Eye Gallery and  No1 Mann Island. In the background you can make out the top of The Liver Building, The Cunard Building and part of The Port of Liverpool Building which together are known as Liverpool's Three Graces and have earned the City Waterfront World Heritage status. 

As you can see from the water in the dock it was very windy today and so it wasn't possible to get any clear reflections. I will go back another time when the conditions are calmer, maybe in the evening when the lights are on and see what shots I can get then.

I was going to save the second picture for another day but the words seemed appropriate given that it was a windy day. This was shot inside the Museum of Liverpool and the words which circle around the balustrade of the central staircase are lyrics from "Song For John" by Yoko Ono