Otterspool Tower
Otterspool Tower | |
---|---|
£ 750,000,000 (partial) | |
Height | 305 m (1,000 ft) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 79 |
Floor area | 400,000 m2 (4,300,000 sq ft) |
Design and construction | |
Architecture firm | Ruddle Wilkinson |
Developer | Wiggins Group |
Otterspool Tower is a name commonly given to a
Part of a £750 million regeneration vision of the former
However, following negative reception, the plans were ultimately confirmed scrapped in late 1999; the developers subsequently claimed the proposal had only ever been made to "test the water",[4] rather than being a truly serious concept.
Site background
A few miles south of
Eventually, part of the site was repurposed as an amusement park under the name "Pleasure Island" in 1992.[8]
Proposal
Surrey-based developer, Wiggins Group, bought a 29.4% stake in the site in 1994, with an option to develop the entire site for £6.8 million; this was activated in late 1995 with Wiggins revealing a £200 million idea for the area, including a 1,000 ft tower.[8] Under the terms of the option, Wiggins had one year to formalise and submit plans or forfeit their right to develop.[9] After conceiving multiple proposals,[9] Wiggins submitted outline planning permission in November 1996.[10] However, the tower was not a concrete aspect of the plan and was described as "still under consideration".[10] In early 1997, Wiggins bought out the owners of the site and closed Pleasure Island due to its poor financial performance.[8][11] The planning application was withdrawn in September.[12]
Wiggins' new plans for the site were reported in the
The tower was designed primarily as a leisure and tourist attraction. Features were to include a theme park stretching up 30 storeys, to be influenced by
Reaction
The plans were initially met with scepticism. Media questioned "the demand for a project of such size and scale" in a city such as Liverpool,
Local media dubbed the tower, "the Scousescraper",
In May 1998, the
Fate
In August 1998, Wiggins announced that Ruddle Wilkinson had been chosen to be the tower's architects.[20] However, by January 1999, plans were described as "on hold" but that talks between Wiggins and the city planning authority were ongoing.[16] By May, it was announced Wiggins were developing "a new blueprint" for the site, in response to criticism from both the council and local residents.[7] In November, with the council steadfastly uncompromising, Wiggins confirmed that a 1,000 ft tower had been officially scrapped from any future plans, claiming the actuality was that it had only ever been part of the original plan to "test the water" and to "see what [would] happen".[4]
Relations between Wiggins and the City Council broke down completely after a third, tower-less scheme was rejected in 2002.
See also
- King Edward Tower, a cancelled scheme which would have become Liverpool's tallest building
- Shanghai Tower, a cancelled scheme which would have become Liverpool's tallest building
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool
- List of visionary tall buildings and structures
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i 1 ,000 ft Mersey Tower Unveiled - But Can The Dream Come True?. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 9 February 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b Growing list of failed schemes. Liverpool Echo. 20 July 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- York University, Toronto. p. 10. 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ a b High Rise Plan Falls Down. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 29 November 1999. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b c (J. G. Raybould, A. F. Potter, J. Crowther and E. Matan.). Waste disposal and engineering geology in the creation of the Liverpool International Garden Festival site. Geological Society, London, Engineering Geology Special Publications, 4, 555-560. 1987.
- ^ (Leney, Anthony D.). A systems approach to assess the redevelopment options for urban brownfield sites. University of Nottingham. p. 88. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b Powerfully positive images of Liverpool. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 5 May 1999. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Park strife ... Pleasure Island is to be closed. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 4 March 1997. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b Decision day on festival gardens. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 24 October 1996. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b Garden Site Set To Bloom Again. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 4 November 1996. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b (Stuart, Heather). History lesson for future capital of culture. The Guardian. 24 November 2003. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Details Page for Planning Application - 96P/2148. Liverpool City Council. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f (Abbott, Jez). Liverpool dump to house Europe’s tallest building. Limited access . Architects' Journal. 12 February 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ The World's Tallest buildings (min.183m) in 2000. Paul Kazmierczak and Egbert Gramsbergen. 30 September 2005. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b Biggest may not be best at the Garden Festival site. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 9 February 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b Tower plan is still on hold. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 21 January 1999. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ FT claims Wiggins tower is wilting. Limited access . Estates Gazette; Financial Times. 11 February 1998. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ a b Tower Plan Blow. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 28 May 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Tower Trouble. Subscription required . Liverpool Echo. Archived at Findmypast. 21 August 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ (Abbott, Jez). Peterborough practice lands £750m tower masterplan. Limited access . Architects' Journal. 13 August 1998. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ New deal for derelict Garden Festival site. Liverpool Echo. 29 April 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Festival Gardens Site - Remediation Works. Regenerating Liverpool. February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
External links
- Otterspool Tower, at SkyScraperNews.com
- Garden Festival Tower[dead link], at Emporis