PROYECTO, PROGRESO, ARQUITECTURAN19_ARQUITECTURA Y ESPACIO-SOPORTE
E. ALONSO GARCÍA. “James S i ling y el p oyec o de la Ta e Galle y en Albe Dock, Li e pool, 1982-88”. P oyec o, P og eso, A qui ec u a. No embe 2018. Uni e sidad de Se illa. ISSN 2171–6897 / ISSNe 2173–1616 – RECEIVEED 2018–03–06 / ACCEPTED 2018–09–06
CC BY-NC-ND – DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ppa.2018.i19.08
E. ALONSO GARCÍA. “James S i ling y el p oyec o de la Ta e Galle y en Albe Dock, Li e pool, 1982-88”. P oyec o, P og eso, A qui ec u a. No embe 2018. Uni e sidad de Se illa. ISSN 2171–6897 / ISSNe 2173–1616 – RECEIVEED 2018–03–06 / ACCEPTED 2018–09–06
CC BY-NC-ND – DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ppa.2018.i19.08
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JAMES STIRLING Y EL PROYECTO DE LA TATE GALLERY EN ALBERT DOCK, LIVERPOOL, 1982-88
JAMES STIRLING AND THE TATE GALLERY PROJECT IN ALBERT DOCK, LIVERPOOL, 1982-88
Eusebio Alonso Ga cía (h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0001-8353-6182)
INTRODUCTION
In 1982 James S i ling d ew his p oposal o en ances o he Ta e Galle y in Li e pool, loca ed on Albe Dock. His
plan was ejec ed and he a chi ec designed he wo k on he abandoned wa ehouse, espec ing he ex e nal aspec
o he exis ing building as much as possible. Howe e , he in e nal exp ession o he ci cula ions in he inal p ojec
sub ly in oked he in as uc u al na u e o one o he mos cha ac e is ic a eas in Li e pool. We will i s analyse he
p ojec he ca ied ou in Albe Dock o he Ta e (Figu e 1) and hen he p ojec ha he could no build (Figu e 6)
o unde s and how he ci y and he u ban se ing nou ished S i ling’s c ea i i y, inco po a ing clea allusions o he
shipping and indus ial na u e o he ci y and he docks.
The p ojec and his p o essional de elopmen
James S i ling had jus ecei ed he P i zke A chi ec u e P ize in 1981. He was wo king on he design and cons uc ion
o he Clo e Galle y in London (1980-86) o house he Tu ne Collec ion. He ecei ed he commission o he Li e pool
Ta e, known as he “Ta e in he No h”, when he was inishing up he wo k on he Neue S aa sgale ie (New S a e Galle y)
in S u ga (1977-84); his a galle y is impo an in his ca ee , as i app oached he con as be ween con adic o y
pa adigms1 o gi e ise o answe s o u ban p oblems.
The conse a ion o he Li e pool docks was app o ed in he 1970s, ecognising he cul u al alue o his indus ial
he i age ha e lec ed he s eng h o ma i ime a ic o e mo e han wo cen u ies. The docks we e an ex ensi e
complex o wha es and loading bays allowing p o ec ed access o boa s, whose me chandise was s o ed in
sp awling buildings. Albe Dock (Jesse Ha ley, 1846) was one o hose p i ileged inhe i ances o he se en miles
o wha es sp ead ac oss he on o he Ri e Me sey in Li e pool, loca ed cen ally in ela ion o he ci y’s u ban
de eloped. Ta e Galle y occupied he no hwes co ne o he en i e ensemble.
James F aze S i ling (Glasgow, 1926) was h ee when he mo ed wi h his amily o Li e pool, whe e he s udied
a chi ec u e (1945-1950). He coincided he e wi h Colin Rowe (a p o esso who would end up being his men o ), wi h
Robe Maxwell (colleague and au ho o a ew essays abou his wo k) and wi h he membe s o he Polish School o
A chi ec u e (1942-47)2, ollowe s o Le Co busie . S i ling li ed he epoch o dock ac i i y be o e and a e he Second
Wo ld Wa , in which he pa icipa ed as a pa a oope , and he li ed he c isis ha pa alysed hei ac i i y and h ea ened
o demolish hem.
THE LEGACY OF ALBERT DOCK AND THE WORK OF STIRLING. CHANGE EVERYTHING WITHOUT TOUCHING
ANYTHING
Jesse Ha ley’s p ojec , 1843-1847
The Albe Dock building (Figu es 2 and 3) in which S i ling pa icipa ed p o ided he spa ial and cons uc ion
cha ac e is ics o mos o he buildings aised along he Ri e Me sey du ing he 19 h cen u y. They had a ious
hypos yle loo s, designa ed o s o ing me chandise om in e na ional ma i ime a ic, and we e cons uc ed wi h
ex e nal b ick walls and in e io cas columns, whose amewo ks we e handled by b ick aul s p opped on me al
Y- and V-shaped beams. The acades we e buil wi h b ick walls, ha had an opening o window in each s uc u al
en ance and in which an a cade o co e ed s ee was placed nex o he wha o acili a e loading and unloading
be ween he boa s and he in e io . This a cade also cons i u es a cha ac e is ic image o his ype o docks, whe e
(nex o he cambe ed openings be ween g ea cas -i on columns ha spanned wo loo s o he building) some la ge
openings we e in e spe sed; hese, c owned wi h ellip ical a ches, co e ed h ee loo s o he building3.
The cons uc ion was deal wi h as a block ha was supplied om he Albe Dock wha . In he açade opposi e
he a cade he e was a pa h o allow access and emo al o me chandise by load ca s. A mo e complex sys em o
ains connec ed all he docks and made in e ci y and ci y connec ions possible.
S i ling’s p ojec (Figu e 3)
S i ling knew he Li e pool docks di ec ly du ing his younge days. The e a e s ill pho og aphs S i ling ook in ha
pe iod4. His admi a ion o hei a chi ec u al s yles has e en been used o jus i y he p esence o shapes and images
alluding o his os e ci y in o he p ojec s5. Toge he wi h he idea o b ing o li e he new image o museum ha he
old building should ha e6, he a chi ec himsel s a es his in en ion o main ain he indus ial na u e o he abandoned
wa ehouse and o make as ew changes as possible, unde lining i s ec onic he oism.
S i ling’s espec ul in e en ion on he inside o he building p oduced a c ea ion ha was “a ypical in his
a chi ec u al pa h o he con en ion in language and he economy o means”7. The a chi ec himsel highligh ed espec
o he building as a c i e ion o aking on he al e a ions s ic ly needed o adap ing i o he new museum use,
al e a ions ha a e o wo ypes: “Fi s ly, hose equi ed o es ablish a sequence o exhibi ion galle ies and an en y oye
app op ia e o a public place o encoun e . Secondly, o achie e he a mosphe e necessa y o he exhibi ions o a
om he in e na ional ci cui ”8. To do so, he based his wo k on h ee s a egies: b inging he access up o da e o he
new use o he museum wi h espec o he image o he açade and o he spa iali y o he en y oye , ma e ialising
he di e en p og am a eas and he communica ion among hem wi h he inse ion o a new communica ion and
ins alla ion se ice backbone and, inally, dealing wi h he ligh ing and clima e con ol ins alla ion needs o he new
exhibi o y use wi h a solu ion ha showcases he awness and ba eness o he old p oduc ion acili ies in he building9.
The h ee s a egies o S i ling’s in e en ion (Figu e 4)
The a chi ec himsel indica ed he need o p o ide isibili y and ins i u ional iden i y. As he i s p oposal o accesses
loca ed in he ou e en y pa io was ejec ed, S i ling o ganised access o he galle y wi hin he columned a cade.
He emp ied eigh s uc u al modules om he mezzanine o c ea e a double-heigh oye o e which a ba and a
bookshop wi h cu ed balconies appea ed. This double-heigh space inco po a ed he en y, which was also cen ed
wi h he bigges açade ape u e opped wi h an a ch, conse ing he c anes ha had se ed o me chandise loading
and unloading. The closing o he new açade o e he ex e io a caded space led back owa ds he inside enough o
ee he me al columns o he old s uc u e. He combined glazed wall sec ions wi h o he blind sec ions, depending
on he inside uses, co e ing hem wi h panels pain ed blue (Blue Funnel Line) which, oge he wi h a ew ci cula
pe o a ions, e oked shapes and colou s o he shipping pas and se ed o “gi e isibili y and iden i y, e en, om he
opposi e end o he wha ”10.
T ans o ming he use om wa ehouse o museum mean going om a diaphanous space o a space ha had
o be b oken up in o exhibi ion ooms and lesse spaces. His second s a egy was o place a backbone cen al
and pa allel o bo h he eas e n and wes e n açades ha con ained all he passages and ci cula ion o people and
ins alla ions and, a he same ime, ga he ed in he p e-exis ing s ai way in he building11 .
Th ough his e icien hub o lows (mo e disc e e han in he p ojec s om his i s epoch), he o e all design o
he p og amme is de ined by sec ion12: he g ound, mezzanine, i s and second loo s we e dedica ed o pe manen
exhibi ions and suppo spaces: he las loo , called he ou h, o a is s’ s udios, con e ence hall, es au an and
empo a y exhibi ions; he hi d loo , o he ins alla ions and wo k s o age a eas; and he basemen , a ins alla ions,
locke s, oile s and s a .
This cen al backbone makes i possible o p io i ise di e en passages. In addi ion o he main s ai case along
wi h he wo li s (which acili a e access o he di e en exhibi ion ooms on all he loo s), i con ains he ollowing
communica ion elemen s, wi h di e en use es ic ions and numbe ed om sou h o no h: he old s ai way, wi h di ec
access om he unloading plaza, pe mi s in e nal connec ion wi h he con e ence hall on he las loo and some wo k
spaces on he in e media e loo s; he se ice li s ops a all he le els; in a di e en way o each loo , connec ions
be ween ooms loca ed a bo h sides o he cen al backbone is made possible o make he exhibi ion ci cui mo e
lexible, wi h passages ha go a ound he main nucleus o s ai s and li s; and, inally, a s ai way o in-house use
connec s he adminis a ion and he g ound loo semina s, and he mezzanine wi h he es au an p ojec ed on he op
loo . Howe e , all his a ied play o ci cula ions emains p ecisely con ined in he cen al backbone.
The hi d s a egy ook ad an age o he expe ise ha S i ling had eached in he Clo e Galle y (Figu e 5), whe e
he made nume ous ske ches o ind he app op ia e ag eemen conce ning he p oblem o ligh ing and clima e
con ol13. Unlike he museum in London, na u al zeni h ligh ing was impossible in Li e pool, gi en ha he di e en
ooms o e lapped in heigh . He a oided alse ceilings o ins alla ions ha could hide his b ick aul s, beams and me al
b aces14.
Ai and elec ici y we e dis ibu ed ho izon ally h ough he inne lining o he walls and o he new su aces whe e
he wo ks o exhibi we e o be hung; in he o ices, class ooms and eading ooms, hey we e placed behind he
u ni u e and panelled. The bigges challenge was o in oduce ai in o he la ge ooms. His Clo e Galle y expe ience
s imula ed him o design a lineal conduc ion ha con ained he ai and ligh ing and which was suspended om he
ceiling, wi hou ouching i . These ins alla ions un h ough he cen e o each b ick aul and a e ed om bo h ends o
educe hei size. They a e hung sepa a ed om he ceiling o hinde pe cep ion o hem as li le as possible.
These h ee s a egies o in e en ion inside he building e lec a i udes ha , al hough wi h a highly di e en
o mal exp essi i y, we e al eady p esen in he ejec ed p oposal o he ini ial ske ch: he i s inco po a ed ins i u ional
isibili y wi h he new oye and i s new açade; he second o ches a ed a low hub in he cen al backbone; and,
inally, he hi d ackled he p oblem o in oducing echnology in he old building. S i ling himsel , as we will see below,
jus i ied such exp essi i y in ela ion o he social and u ban con ex and o he indus ial se ing o he Li e pool docks.
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PROYECTO, PROGRESO, ARQUITECTURAN19_ARQUITECTURA Y ESPACIO-SOPORTE
E. ALONSO GARCÍA. “James S i ling y el p oyec o de la Ta e Galle y en Albe Dock, Li e pool, 1982-88”. P oyec o, P og eso, A qui ec u a. No embe 2018. Uni e sidad de Se illa. ISSN 2171–6897 / ISSNe 2173–1616 – RECEIVEED 2018–03–06 / ACCEPTED 2018–09–06
CC BY-NC-ND – DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ppa.2018.i19.08
E. ALONSO GARCÍA. “James S i ling y el p oyec o de la Ta e Galle y en Albe Dock, Li e pool, 1982-88”. P oyec o, P og eso, A qui ec u a. No embe 2018. Uni e sidad de Se illa. ISSN 2171–6897 / ISSNe 2173–1616 – RECEIVEED 2018–03–06 / ACCEPTED 2018–09–06
CC BY-NC-ND – DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ppa.2018.i19.08
p.142
p.144
p.145
The un ealised p oposal o he ou side accesses. The 1982 ske ch (Figu e 6)
The i s documen ed idea ha S i ling ske ched o his Albe Dock wo k did no e e o he inne space, which we
ha e p e iously analysed, bu o he building accesses. His o mal p oposal con ains, among o he in en ions, a
clea claim o he museum iden i y o he ins i u ion. The p oposal, which “was ejec ed by he igid de ende s o
conse a ion”15, includes a collage alluding o he ci y o Li e pool and he his o y o he docks, o which S i ling had
i s -hand knowledge. Fo ha eason, some yea s a e he conse a ion o Albe Dock was app o ed (17 No embe
1976), he had he oppo uni y o p ojec i s eco e y as a museum o he Ta e Galle y; wi h ha p oposal, he ecen
pas o he docks and hei in ol emen in he ci y o Li e pool eappea ed as a o mal s a egy.
Toge he wi h he d awings in pe spec i e and ho izon al alignmen , he e a e ex s and no es ha e lec his16. In
he uppe le angle: “Albe Dock – L´pool: Abou 1958? The wa ehouses o he Dock we e ull o b oken up ships pa s
– unnels, b idges, p opelle s, e c.” O he ex s and no es included in he d awing: “Escala o s, Ship b idge collage,
new s eps and amp, exis ing blocs”; a ows indica ed he a ious en ances and connec ions wi h he abandoned
wa ehouse in he loo plan in he uppe igh angle; no e “75-82” in he lowe igh angle; ex in he lowe cen al
sec ion wi h wo pa s: one inco po a es a la ge a ow owa ds he main en ance and says: “en ance in o / new
building / whe e is / pa ly mo e o ships pieces; and he lowe one inco po a es a la ge a ow ha seems o poin ing o
he le and o e e o he ci cula ion by he a caded galle y o he wha : “en ance conduc ing / as Tug Boa ”.
The loo plan ha appea s in he uppe igh co ne e lec s dimensions gi en be ween he old wa ehouse and he
suppo ing buildings. Howe e , he pa io placed be ween hem, whe e he new access p oposal is se , is s ill oo wide.
S i ling amed h ee connec ions be ween he new oye and he old wa ehouse s uc u e, one in he g ound loo om
he olume o cu ed lines and ano he wo using escala o s ha would connec he ou h o op loo , which would
gi e access, depending on he p og amme o p ojec uses, o he loo wi h he es au an and he con e ence hall
and empo a y exhibi ions. The o he escala o would gi e access o he second o o he las loo o he pe manen
exhibi ion ooms in he galle y, and i would be possible o descen o comple e he ci cui . Be ween bo h landing
poin s, he e would be he hi d loo , alloca ed o ins alla ions and wa ehouse galle ies o he museum.
Agains he o mal and ma e ial disc e ion wi h which S i ling ac ed inside, he u ned o an iden i y symbology in
a ious di ec ions in his ske ch, using some o he mechanisms and hemes he lo ed: combining neu al shapes
o signi ican shapes, indus ial and in as uc u al ci a ions, using collage as a composi ion mechanism, diagonal
geome ies, cons uc i is e e ences, plas ic p o agonism o he shapes ha ep esen he low, and casual placemen
o speci ic elemen s, as well as o mal jus i ica ion as an exp ession o uses and ways o li e17.
The isibili y o he ins i u ion would ha e been gua an eed wi h he meaning o i s name, “Ta e Galle y”, in he sign,
buil wi h echnology simila o bo h pipes ha would house he escala o s ha ise o he museum. The sign heigh
would no ha e been less han ha o some b ick smokes acks in he indus ial a ea o he docks. And he day ime
and nigh ime pagean o isi o s ascending and descending on he escala o s would ha e made up a memo able
image o he museum, an op imis ic sigh e oking he walkways ha se ed o cen u ies o go up o o come down
om he ships and o he con eyo bel s on which so much me chandise ci cula ed be ween he ships and he old
wa ehouses (Figu e 7).
In a momen o ansi ion be ween he indus ial decline o wha was always he hallma k o an en i e ci y and
he poli ical and social s imulus o i s conse a ion, S i ling in e p e s he museum p ojec like a “ ugboa pulling
he old docks”, op ing o ebi h among so many “b oken emains o he old ships”. Tha is wha he composi ion
in a cons uc i is key o he smokes ack-sign and bo h escala o s allude o, pieces ha a icula e, oge he wi h he
image o he shipping emnan s and he old wa ehouse, he Ta u ian “a chaeology o he p esen ”18. This was no
jus because o he habi ual dialec ics ha S i ling had es ablished in ea lie wo ks and in ela ion o he shapes o
mode n a chi ec u e, bu ha , in his pa icula case, he in e nal cohe ence ha lowe ed in he un ealised ske ch o
he Li e pool Ta e explo ed he pi o al a chaeology o he ci y, he docks and communica ion sys em hemsel es o
Li e pool.
The his o y o he Li e pool docks ma ks he mode n his o y o he ci y and i s g ow h du ing he pas wo
cen u ies19. By con as o o he ci ies, Li e pool did no inhe i any hing o i s medie al pas ; i has essen ially been
c ea ed since he 19 h cen u y20. A na u al co e in he Ri e Me sey se ed o ecei e small ships ha had been ading
wi h I eland om be o e 1660. I la e needed o accommoda e la ge -sized ships ha aded all ypes o p oduc s wi h
No h Ame ica ( obacco), he Wes Indies colonies (suga ), including ading o sla es om Wes A ica Occiden al, o
which Li e pool was he leading po in 1807.
Du ing he 19 h cen u y, Li e pool con inued expanding i s ma i ime ade, widening i s ela ionships wi h Sou h
Ame ica, India, he O ien and Aus alia and i inc eased ade wi h he Uni ed S a es and Canada, he epe cussions
o which we e cons uc ions o new docks and emodelling o old ones. The ci y con inued impo an un il he Second
Wo ld Wa , when i was subjec ed o se e e bombing, and ell in o decline owa ds he end o he 50s.
Symbolic signi icance o he ci cula ion shapes
In his wo k, S i ling equen ly cons uc s a p ojec image based on he o mal s a egy ha o ganises and di e si ies
ci cula ion. The image shape ep esen ed he answe o unde s anding he p oblem in each place beyond he s ic
unc ional equi emen s. Le Co busie had al eady d awn his in e p e a ion in his p ojec o a hospi al in Venice wi h
espec o he Vene ian con ex , which he used as a me apho and analogy21.
S i ling himsel g ouped his wo ks acco ding o he dis inc ocuses on he p oblem o ci cula ion: “The epe i ion o
a se ies o elemen s o ci cula ion, such as amps, owe s, galle ies, s ai ways, some imes placed as symbolic objec s
o indica e en ances and exi s, in e io and ex e io mo emen s (She ield – Leices e – Facul y o His o y a Camb idge
– Queen’s College – Runco n); ci cula ion seen as sca olding o an o ganising skele on o e which he se ings a e
connec ed: ci cula ion h ough ‘open- loo ’ places and closed ooms. A eas o ci cula ion o social con ac , whe e
he people mee one ano he occasionally, in con as o he se ings used o a speci ic ac i i y (She ield – Leices e
– Facul y o His o y a Camb idge – And ew Mel ille Hall, S . And ews – Oli e i T aining Cen e, Mil on Keynes); p ima y
impo ance o he shapes ep esen ing ci cula ion, ha is, e ical owe s o he s ai cases, a iums and galle ies in
which o s oll and ake shel e (She ield – Leices e – Facul y o His o y a Camb idge – Runco n)”22.
The commencemen o he Li e pool Ta e p ojec coincided wi h he end o he cons uc ion o he Neue
S aa sgale ie in S u ga (1977-84), whe e he public and ex e io ci cula ions enabling people o go om one s ee o
ano he h ough he building wi hou going inside i ind hei c owning momen in he o unda o sculp u e pa io (Figu e
9). Disco e ing his o unda is an unsuspec ed e en wi hin he laby in hine and pic u esque ci cui 23. In his o unda,
S i ling enews he dialec ic dialogue ha his own maes o a he School o Li e pool, Colin Rowe, e ealed be ween
he cen ed o unda o Schinkel’s Al es Museum and Le Co busie ’s o -cen e Chandiga h o unda24, adding his
di e en ision in he ace o a di e en u ban con ex . Unlike Chandiga h, S i ling channels and di ec s he ci cula ions
and, in con as o he o mal p ese a ion o he Al es Museum o unda, in S u ga he open ai o unda is a aged by
he amp ha in oduces he ci cula ions in i o emphasise i s condi ion o he ocus o a en ion25.
Change e e y hing wi hou ouching any hing
Some hing o all o his is p esen in he indi idualised shapes o he escala o s ha diagonally connec he main
oye wi h he second and ou h loo s: he disco e y o he ci y om hose escala o s. This e en would wo k in wo
di ec ions: as an unusual iew o Li e pool and he Me sey, and as an ou side iew showcasing he low o museum
isi o s; he exploi a ion o he di e ences be ween he e en s on en e ing he museum o he es au an and he
con e ence hall.
In he equi emen o he S u ga ende was he need o esol e his pa icula a ic low. S i ling’s explana ion
cla i ies he u ban meaning he p ojec assumes: “To lead he public o mo e diagonally h ough he a ea, in signi ican
con ac wi h he new building; no o di ide he a ea wi h he new pedes ian s ee speci ied and no o make he
people go behind a building”26. Some o hese issues ha combine “p omenade and mo emen in a c oss-b eeding
p ocess”27, so ele an in he un ealised Li e pool p oposal, al eady appea ed in he o he wo p ojec s ha comple e
he Ge man compe i ions in he 1960s, Düsseldo and Cologne. In Cologne (Figu e 9), wo escala o s connec Le el 5
o he oye wi h Le el 10 o he amphi hea e. This c owns a cubic olume, whose lowe loo s a e emp ied o ins all he
public space o a co e ed plaza. This mechanism o mechanical connec ion was he answe o he need o compose
wi h isola ed and sel -con ained olumes o esol e he o mal symme y be ween his box and he one he places on
he o he side o he highway, which oge he ame he iew o he ca hed al. In he Ta e, he wo ked in a simila manne :
he wo escala o s escued he olume ic au onomy o he o iginal Albe Dock wa ehouse, despi e inco po a ing
new accesses wi h signi ican powe ul de e mina ion. He would ha e changed e e y hing wi hou ouching any hing.
Tunnels and ele a ed ains. Li e pool’s ci cula ion sys em (Figu es 11 and 12)
“The deep wa e s o he Ri e Me sey ha e been he base o he g ow h on bo h sides, Li e pool and Wallasey”28.
Wi h hese wo ds, p onounced du ing he inaugu a ion o he Kingsway Tunnel (24 June 1971), Queen Elizabe h
emphasised how impo an he ela ionship be ween Li e pool and i s i e was. Fo yea s, he only way o c oss he
i e be ween Wi al and Li e pool was o ake he e y, a me hod ha had become o e c owded by he beginning o
he 1900s. The e a e cu en ly ou ways o c oss he i e : by e y, by he ailway unnel (opened in 1886 as he i s
ain o go unde wa e ) and by wo ca unnels below he Ri e Me sey, he Queensway, in Bi kenhead (1934), and he
Kingsway, in Wallasey (1971). All o hese ha e a ou ed he Ri e Me sey o ship a ic.
In he case o bo h ca unnels, he pe inen commissions deba ed whe he a b idge o a unnel should be
cons uc ed; in bo h cases, he unnel op ion was mo e economically sus ainable29. In a ci y ha had wo occasions in
he 20 h cen u y o hink abou making a b idge o a unnel o c oss he Ri e Me sey —i had al eady done so be o e
o he ailway in he 19 h cen u y— bo h imes he decision was an unde g ound unnel. This is he way in which
one eaches Li e pool by ain, wi h unde g ound accesses o i s wo main s a ions, Lime S ee S a ion and Cen al
S a ion, and ha is he way he ain uns h oughou he ci y.
Howe e , e e y hing ela ed o he i e , he a ic o ships on he Me sey o he Leeds Canal ha s a s om he
S anley Dock, ob iously goes in he open ai . And he people and me chandise emba king on he ships ia con eyo
bel s and walkways we e also in he open. And he ain connec ing all he docks no only was no unde g ound, bu
so as no o in e up he ci cula ion o lo ies, i was ele a ed; and all o hem we e images ha emain in he isual
memo y o he ci y. The las , ele a ed, images we e he ones ha would ha e inspi ed S i ling’s design, wi h a cu iosa
nume ological i ony: he designs wo independen escala o s because he indi idualises he accesses in his way
o pe manen exhibi ions (connec ion wi h he second loo ) and o empo a y exhibi ions and he con e ence hall
(connec ion wi h he ou h loo ), coinciding in numbe wi h he wo ca a ic unnels30 (Figu es 8, 10 and 12).
p.141
p.143
p.146
PROYECTO, PROGRESO, ARQUITECTURAN19_ARQUITECTURA Y ESPACIO-SOPORTE
E. ALONSO GARCÍA. “James S i ling y el p oyec o de la Ta e Galle y en Albe Dock, Li e pool, 1982-88”. P oyec o, P og eso, A qui ec u a. No embe 2018. Uni e sidad de Se illa. ISSN 2171–6897 / ISSNe 2173–1616 – RECEIVEED 2018–03–06 / ACCEPTED 2018–09–06
CC BY-NC-ND – DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ppa.2018.i19.08
E. ALONSO GARCÍA. “James S i ling y el p oyec o de la Ta e Galle y en Albe Dock, Li e pool, 1982-88”. P oyec o, P og eso, A qui ec u a. No embe 2018. Uni e sidad de Se illa. ISSN 2171–6897 / ISSNe 2173–1616 – RECEIVEED 2018–03–06 / ACCEPTED 2018–09–06
CC BY-NC-ND – DOI: h p://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/ppa.2018.i19.08
CONCLUSIONS
The analysis based on he 1982 ske ch demons a es he empo al and e i o ial dimensions ha sus ained he
p ojec ; he ex and d awings in i emphasise his. The design ep esen s an ad anced s age in he ma u a ion he
p ojec whose spli ing o he accesses o each pa o he unc ional p og amme h ough he ex e io escala o s would
ha e i in wi h he unc ional o ganisa ion inally p ojec ed, including he backbone-in e nal hub (Figu e 10).
S i ling, dealing wi h he u ban scale and e oking he memo y o he ci y, ini ially p oposed a sys em o ex e nal
accesses, ae ial, indi idualised and suppo ed on shipw ecks, wi h an eloquen in as uc u al image alluding o he
ci y’s shipping indus y. A e he conse a i e ejec ion, all he ci cula ion lows we e esol ed in a quie e and mo e
abs ac ashion in he in e io backbone (Figu e 4). The wo op ions, so con as ing bu no necessa ily mu ually
exclusi e, cons i u e an epi ome o he deba e ha he ci y o Li e pool had posed i sel as o i s u ban ansi : i chose
o bu y ain and ca ci cula ion in unnels and made e e y hing ela ed o ships isible: con eyo bel s, walkways,
ele a ed ains o lea e he way ee o lo ies and load ca s (Figu es 7, 8 and 11); hemes ha shaped a memo able
image o he ci y h oughou he las cen u ies (Figu e 12). The 1982 ske ch cap u ed his memo y o he ci y, which
S i ling used as hope ul, i al a chaeology in one o he momen s o he g ea es c ises in Li e pool and o he
a chi ec onical landscape ha se ed as a suppo o he p ojec .
The d awing men ioned documen s wo o mal s a egies in appa en con aposi ion: on he one hand, espec
o he consolida ed se ing, e lec ed in accu a e pic u e o he p e-exis ing elemen s inhe i ed; and, on he o he , he
ule-b eaking image o he new mechanical accesses ha he inse ed be ween hem, al hough ouching Albe Dock
minimally: h ee al eady p esen emp y spaces we e he only h ee poin s o physical con ac wi h he old wa ehouse. As
opposed o he ci y eno a ion ollowed decades la e by elimina ing and emp ying some p e-exis ing elemen s (Figu e
2), S i ling demolished no hing and his di e en ia ed and ansg essi e inclusion in ensi ied he ci y’s landscape.
He posed uncon en ional access h ough hem o he new museum ins ead o en e ing by he a caded s ee
because his unc ional des ina ion was some hing else. The u h is, ans o ming a po wa ehouse in o a museum is
accep ing he obsolescence o an a chi ec u e whose main unc ion has been displaced by he passage o ime. The
ske ch ci ed cap u es his esilien a i ude and he pledge o he u u e ha S i ling launched in his scena io in c isis;
i was his commi men o each “high a chi ec u al aspi a ions” in each unde aking31. The e iden o mal ansg ession,
which he de endan s o pu e conse a ion did no accep , inco po a ed he wo dimensions o e lec ion in his design,
he empo al and he e i o ial. In o he iden i iable scena io o he old Li e pool docks, S i ling inse ed a o mal
p oposal whose de iance would ha e o bols e new e en s; we a e e e ing no only o he expec ed sigh o museum
isi s, bu also o he ac ion o con empla ing simul aneously he ci y and he Ri e Me sey om he escala o s,
sha e ing he isual ba ie ha he laby in hine ops i ching o he se en miles o docks —app op ia e ac al analogy
o he ci cula ion hub o he museum’s in e io backbone (Figu es 4 and 8)— had o med o e he cen u ies. The
o mal and spa ial in ensi y made i possible o pa adoxically pe mea e his ba ie be ween he Me sey and he ci y
and, a he same, ga e isibili y o he memo y o he dock space-suppo .
The p ojec s a egy o he ske ch spo ligh s he empo al di e ence o he o ms: maximum espec o and
conse a ion o he consolida ed se ing, maximum ansg ession in he a chi ec u e o he new accesses and
coexis ence and simul anei y o con as ing shapes ha a e bo h a e lec ion o di e en imes and suppo o new
e en s. Simul anei y is a s a egy ha ac s on ime; i ac i a es he inhe i ed pas and in oduces i in o a new dialogue
wi h he p esen .
The las pa ag aphs ha e been dedica ed o he e i o ial e e ence unde lying he o mal s a egy o he new and
un ealised accesses, a e e ence in ol ing u ban memo y, docks and he sys em o ci cula ions in Li e pool.
1. ROWE, Colin. James S i ling: glosa poco o denada y muy pe sonal [James S i ling: A highly pe sonal and e y disjoin ed memoi ]. In: James STIRLING. Ob as y p oyec os.
James S i ling, Michael Wil o d y asociados [Wo ks and P ojec s. James S i ling, Michael Wil o d and Associa es]. Ba celona: Gus a o Gili, 1985, pp. 10-27. COLQUHOUN, A.
Un monumen o pe la ci á [A landma k o he ci y]. In: F. DAL CO; T. MUIRHEAD. I Musei de James S i ling, Michel Wil o d and Associa es [Museums o James S i ling, Michel
Wil o d and Associa es]. Milan: Elec a, 1990, p. 127.
2. I am g a e ul o P o esso Neil Jackson o showing me he plaque in he Li e pool School o A chi ec u e (LSA) oye ha commemo a es he p esence o he Polish School.
Be ween Oc obe and Decembe , he LSA hos ed me as a Visi ing Schola in he CAVA, wi h P o esso Richa d Koeck, in a s ay inanced by he Uni e si y o Valladolid. This
pape is one o he esul s.
3. These ellip ical openings (an inno a ion by J. Ha ley and an imp o emen ha he in oduced based on his s udy o he Sain Ka ha ine dock in London) we e he main
spo s o loading and unloading he boa s and, in hese openings, hois s and pulleys we e placed o help wi h he wo ks. POLLARD, R. The Docks. In: Joseph SHARPLES.
Li e pool. New Ha en-London: Yale Uni e si y P ess, 2004, p. 107. Albe Dock is he jewel in he c own o his o ce ul he i age o indus ial a chi ec u e. I was decided o
es o e and ecupe a e i in 1981, adap ing i o se e al uses: ho els, ba s and es au an s, shops, o ices, apa men s, Me sey Ma i ime Museum, Bea les Museum and
Ta e Galle y. The building is cons uc ed using b ick wall acades, wi h hicknesses ha ange om 0.9 me es in he g ound loo o 0.48 in he las loo . He deal wi h he
s uc u e using a g id o cas me al columns, wi h 5.5×3.5-me e modules and wo ypes o me al beams --in e ed Y and V p o iles-- he la e o e he on a cade columns.
Reduced-cu a u e b ick aul s li o om he Y p o iles. Jesse Ha ley ook in he expe ience o building he docks in London, pa icula ly S . Ka ha ine Dock, whe e he
enginee Philip Ha dwick had designed wa ehouses in 1826-27. F om him he also ook in he idea o he 4.6-me e Do ic columns on he açade. Unlike S . Ka ha ine, which
had a wood s uc u e, Ha ley sough al e na i e solu ions ha we e sa e agains i es. Be ween 1841 and 1843, he d ew six al e na i e designs, gene a ing he sys em o
me al beams and columns desc ibed. He also applied a sys em o ligh usses on he oo op. The en i e ensemble is su ounded by a b ick pe ime e wall 3.5 me es high
o p e en obbe ies. Ibídem, pp. 103-111.
4. IULIANO, M.; SERRAZANETTI, F. James S i ling. Inspi a ion and P ocess in A chi ec u e. Li e pool: Moleskine SpA, 2015, pp. 38-41. Du ing he 2017-2018 school yea ,
P o esso Ma co Iuliano, a he Li e pool School o A chi ec u e, o whom I am g a e ul o his guidance wi h his pape , has de eloped wi h his s uden s p ojec p oposals
linked o his wo k by S i ling.
5. Fo he genealogy o he S u ga usses among o he subjec s, see ideo. HENEGHAN, Tom. James S i ling: Specula ions. Con e ence. Uni e si y o Sydney, ideo, min.
57-58:15.
6. STIRLING, J. Ta e in he No h, Li e pool. In: F. DAL CO, op. ci . sup a, no e 1, p. 167.
7. BASSO PERESSUT, L. James S i ling. Ta e Galle y o Li e pool. In: Domus, 1989, no. 702, pp. 1-3.
8. STIRLING, J.; WILFORD, M. Ta e Galle y Li e pool. In: A+U A chi ec u e and U banism. 1989, no. 228, p. 113.
9. A e he wo ks in 1984-88, adap ing he hi d o six h loo s in he smalle -dep h block and he las loo in he wides block was le pending. In 1997-98, hese spaces we e
e o med o exposi ions, while some o iginally-planned uses d opped in o obli ion: con e ence hall, es au an and he s udios o a is s, all designed on he 4 h loo (Le el 6).
10. STIRLING, J.; WILFORD, M., op. ci . sup a, no e 8, p. 113.
11. This backbone, which inco po a ed he p e-exis ing inne b ick wall, goes along he en i e building heigh and con ains he main escala o , wo li s, se ice li , e acua ion
and in e nal s ai s, e ical duc s o he ins alla ions, some mois spo s ( he oile s we e placed in he cella nex o he locke s). Linked o his cen al backbone, he ai
ea men uni s we e placed in he hi d loo o ins alla ions (Le el 5), aking ad an age o he exis ing windows. On he oo op, he included a cooling owe , a cis e n oom
and he li machine y oom.
12. MONEO, Ra ael. Inquie ud eó ica y es a egia p oyec ual en la ob a de ocho a qui ec os con empo aneous [Theo e ical Res lessness and Design S a egy in he Wo k o
Eigh Con empo a y A chi ec s]. Ba celona: Ac a , 2004, pp. 9-10.
13. JENKINS, Da id. Clo e Galle y, Ta e Galle y, Li e pool. London: Phaidon, 1992.
14. STIRLING, J., WILFORD, M., op. ci . sup a, no e 8, p. 113.
15. STIRLING, James. Musei e Galle ie [Museums and Galle ies]. In: DAL CO, op. ci . sup a, no e 1, p. 64.
16. STIRLING, James. Ske ch o he New Ta e Galle y, 1982. Mon eal, Canadian Cen e o A chi ec u e. Au ho ’s ansla ion. The d awing has been ep oduced in: STIRLING,
J., WILFORD, M., op. ci . sup a, no e 8, p. 130; DAL CO, F., MUIRHEAD, T., op. ci . sup a, no e 1, p. 167; JENKINS, Da id, op. ci . sup a, no e 13, Fig. 39; IULIANO, M., SERRA-
ZANETTI, F., op. ci . sup a, no e 4, pp. 110-111.
17. STIRLING, J. Due con e enze [Two con e ences]. In: A. IZZO; C. GUBITOSI. James S i ling. Rome: O icina Edizioni, 1976, pp. 25-27.
18. “S i ling has ‘ ew i en’ he ‘wo ds’ o mode n a chi ec u e, building a ue ‘a chi ec u e o he p esen ’”. TAFURI, Man edo. Da L’A chi ec u e dans le boudoi [A chi ec u e
in P i a e Si ing Rooms]: The Language o C i icism and he C i icism o Language. In: Opposi ions, 1974, no. 3.
19. STAMMERS, M. Li e pool Docks. Glouces e shi e: The His o y P ess, 2010, pp. 7-8.
20. SHARPLES, J., op. ci . sup a, no e 3, p. 3.
21. ALONSO GARCÍA, E. El espacio público en Le Co busie [Public Space in Le Co busie ]. In: J. TORRES CUECO. Le Co busie 50 años después [Le Co busie 50 Yea s La e ].
Valencia: UPV, 2015, p. 92.
22. STIRLING, J. Due con e enze [Two con e ences], op. ci . sup a, no e 17, pp. 25-26.
23. COLQUHOUN, A., op. ci . sup a, no e 1, p. 125.
24. ROWE, Colin. Manie ismo y a qui ec u a mode na y o os ensayos [Manne ism and Mode n A chi ec u e and O he Essays]. Ba celona: Gus a o Gili, 1978, pp. 9-33.
25. CORTÉS VÁZQUEZ DE PARGA, J. A. La caja de Pando a [Pando a’s Box]. In: Esc i os sob e a qui ec u a con empo ánea [W i ings on Con empo a y A chi ec u e]. COAM:
Mad id, 1991, p. 143.
26. STIRLING, J. Neue S aa sgale ie & Kamme hea e [New S a e Galle y and Chambe Thea e], S u ga . In DAL CO, op. ci . sup a, no e 1, p. 109.
27. MONEO, R., op. ci . sup a, no e 12, p. 42.
28. JACKSON-LEE, P. The Me sey Road Tunnels. Ambe ley: Glouces e shi e, 2017, p. 72.
29. Queensway designing began in 1923, wo k commenced in 1925 and i was inaugu a ed in 1934 by King Geo ges V, included he six en ila ion s a ions. I s ci cula sec ion
has a diame e o 13 me e s and wo b anches o en ances a each side o he i e . Inc eased a ic eopened he deba e in 1959 o e he need o a new unnel, which was
inally inaugu a ed on 24 June 1971 by Queen Elizabe h. I s ci cula sec ion is 9.63 me e s in diame e .
30. In S aa sgale ie, in he design o he en y ma quees o he h ee a eas, museum, hea e and lib a y, “he achie es a delibe a e nume ological allusion (…), in he lib a y
he ma quee has jus one oo , in he hea e wo and in he museum h ee”. ÁLVAREZ ÁLVAREZ, Da ío. James S i ling y la con adicción como mé odo [James S i ling and
Con adic ion as a Me hod]. In: Anales de A qui ec u a [A chi ec u e Annals]. Valladolid: Dp o. de Teo ía de la A qui ec u a y P oyec os A qui ec ónicos, 1993-94, no. 5, p. 237.
31. STIRLING, James. Accep ance speech. In: Rubén A. ALCOLEA e al., eds. P emios P i zke . Discu sos de acep ación, 1979-2015 [P i zke A chi ec u e P ize. Accep ance
Speeches, 1979-2015]. Ba celona: Fundación A quia, 2015, p. 50.
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p.148