Building on experience and trust

Jan 14 2008 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

In part one of our two-day focus on cities in the 21st century, Peter Elson reports on a pioneering conference taking place at Liverpool University’s School of Architecture

AFTER decades of massive urban re-planning which possibly has delivered more efficient cities, the public has become distinctly jaded – if not suspicious – of what future regeneration will mean.

Too often, we have been promised cities that would grace the adventures of Dan Dare, pilot of the future, or at least be a location worthy of an episode of The Avengers.

Instead, we get stark, concrete brutalist buildings, complete with ever-expanding ring-roads, studded with multi-storey car parks and shopping centres that resemble wind tunnels.

Particular places of character have been replaced by nowheres in particular that could be anywhere, as we degenerate into clone town Britain.

Identikit, corporate chain store-dominated high streets are interchangeable from Perth to Plymouth.

However, undeterred by those bad old days of the future, Liverpool University’s School of Architecture is kicking off 2008 with its contribution to the European Capital of Culture.

For the first time at any university in the North West, the architecture department is hosting a week-long International Winter School event called Multipli-Cities, which will explore the cities of the future.

What better time to come to Liverpool, as its skyline is festooned with cranes and a regeneration programme as big as that after the Blitz once again changes the entire look of the city.

More than 150 lecturers and students in architecture and related subjects from all over Europe – including Russia – and as far as Africa and Mexico will attend the symposium. Two- thirds of the students attending will come from abroad.

Starting today, it will be hosted by Prof Robert Kronenburg, head of the School of Architecture, and his staff, including Dr Carolina Rodriguez.

“This will be the first of its kind and the idea is for students to better understand how the different disciplines that help to create a city link together,” says Dr Rodriguez, who runs the second-year course in architecture.

“It is easy to be cynical about what has gone before in previous attempts at creating visionary cities, but that does not mean you should not try to do better.

“The participants from different countries will collaborate on a series of interconnected architectural design projects. They will explore aspects related to the future urban landscape.

“Obviously, we will cover architecture, but also explore art, urban design, regeneration and planning through seven workshops with the different tutors, many of whom come from abroad.

“The students will work intensively in groups and then present their findings or projects at the end of the week. There is a mixture of age groups, rather than this being aimed at a single year.”

There will also be a guided tour of Liverpool for the students attending the event, given by Judith Walsh, a member of the school’s staff.

If nothing else, it will show the architects and urban designers of tomorrow what naked commer- cialism can do – perhaps more of an example of culture of capital, rather than Capital of Culture.

Whatever their thoughts, these students from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia and around the UK will certainly return home with a strong image of Liverpool.

“We are looking to publish the results of the week in a catalogue format, so this is not merely an academic exercise,” says Dr Rodriguez, who comes from Colombia, South America, and has worked in Liverpool for one year.

“Already, this event has caused a lot of interest from other universities who are watching it very closely, but it’s first of several projects that we hope will raise the School of Architecture’s profile during this year.

“The planning has been going on since last year, when we sort of tested the idea with a smaller event.

“We’re keen to concentrate on the quality, rather than quantity and get something meaningful out of the week.”

Dr Rodriguez, who lives in Aigburth with her husband, David Stevenson, who is head chef at the Piazza Restaurant, Mount Pleasant, worked in an architectural practice in Nottingham, before moving to Liverpool. They are expecting their first child.

“I’m very excited to be here at this time. This is such an opportunity for Liverpool to show itself off to the world. That’s why we’re so pleased to have so many lecturers and students attending from abroad,” she says.