Flats frenzy fades but future looks bright

Sep 18 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

The Beetham Tower complex (158)

Back in 1981. . . we realised it could be an amazing place to live

URBAN Splash was one of the first property developers to kick-start the Liverpool apartment market.

Chief executive Jonathan Falkingham explains: “I came to Liverpool as a student in 1981 and thought the city was a great place, so when I graduated, I decided to stay and set up my own architecture practice, called Shed.

“It was tough being a young architect in Liverpool then. There was no real development or regeneration but the city was exciting.

“I met Tom Bloxham when he bought the Liverpool Palace building, where I was based with Shed.

“We both shared a great enthusiasm for Liverpool and when we travelled to other cities across Europe like Barcelona, Paris and Berlin and saw how people lived in the city, the lifestyle, the street cafes, all the life around amazing, beautiful historic buildings.

“We thought ‘why can’t that happen in Liverpool’? It’s got a great urban fabric, stunning architecture and wonderful buildings. Our first venture together was Baa Bar, which opened in 1991.

“We realised that by creating a totally different designed bar to those in the city then, people would come to it.

“Baa Bar’s success made us think – If we can make a bar work then we can make homes and offices work in the city too.”

“Back in the summer of 1994, Urban Splash launched its first development, Concert Square, and opened its first office in Liverpool (we’ve been here ever since). It included the North West’s first loft-style apartments which you could buy for £27,000, or you could get a penthouse for £48,000.

“At the time, we realised we’d taken a massive risk, no one was living in Liverpool city centre then and a great many people had us finished before we’d even begun.

“We took the almost derelict Victorian warehouses on Concert Square, kept the best of the original features, like the lovely brickwork, timber beams and steel columns, and married them with striking modern design.

“Concert Square attracted a huge amount of interest and the 18 apartments sold in a matter of weeks, and we realised then that we could bring city living into Liverpool and bring back to life a lot of amazing historic buildings.

“Liverpool is our home city, and Urban Splash is very proud of the role it has played in its regeneration so far and we’re looking forward to the future, too.”

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