A dramatic entrance marks new opening for art lovers

Oct 22 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A NEW entrance to the Lady Lever Art Gallery will give visitors direct access to the heart of its collections.

People coming through the west door will now experience the grandeur of the building and its displays immediately.

Sandra Penketh, head of the Lady Lever, says: “This is a very exciting time for the gallery as the new entrance will transform the visitor experience. It is much more welcoming and reflects the status of the collections.”

Two bronze statues – Linus and Dancing by Edward Onslow Ford – greet visitors as they enter and two large stone urns which had been in store have been conserved and placed at the new entrance. A new ramp enables full access to the building.

When the gallery was opened in 1922, there were four entrances but only one – the south – was used.

In recent years a ramped entrance was created alongside the building to give access to the basement café and shop. This entrance remains open but the south door will no longer be used.