Liverpool to get new multi-storey ‘Hemisphere’ building inspired by the human brain - what it looks like

A multi-million pound research and development facility that could create thousands of jobs is to be the latest addition to Liverpool’s burgeoning knowledge quarter.

The green light has been given to Sciontec to construct its eight storey Hemisphere building on land at Paddington Village, previously occupied by Archbishop Blanch girls’ school.

The development will sit alongside existing major projects including The Spine, a 14-storey building occupied by the Royal College of Physicians, the 13-storey ‘live-learn’ facility of University of Liverpool International College and the Rutherford Cancer Centre.

What will Hemisphere look like?

The designers says Hemisphere gets its name from the two sides of the human brain; where the right hand cerebrum is creative and imaginative and the left academic and logical.

The new building will embody these characteristics and each side has been designed to have its own personality, look and feel, with features that differentiate one side from the other.

Councillors at a meeting of Liverpool Council’s planning committee were told how the “high quality addition” to the area would be a “striking building” and marked a £35m investment by Sciontec, owners of Liverpool Science Park.

Why it matters

The new build, which is expected to be the first net zero carbon workspace in the Liverpool City Region, would provide the equivalent of more than 1,000 full time equivalent jobs and add £50m to the city’s GVA.

While no additional parking will be provided, more than 160 cycle spaces would be available as part of the development, which wants to make ‘commuting by bike a viable option all year round’.

In a statement, Colin Sinclair, Sciontec chief executive, said: “We are promising to make Hemisphere the most cycling commuter friendly workspace in the city centre, by not only including 166 secure cycle spaces but all e-bike charging facilities, drying facilities, changing rooms and showers for cyclists.

“As a cyclist myself, I know how important it is to not only recharge your bike whilst at work but also to dry the clothes you wore to cycle in and to store your kit securely. We want to make commuting by bike a viable option all year round.”

There will also be a wellness studio and yoga classes, that will be part of the ‘Village’ community that is coming to life in this thriving and increasingly vibrant part of the city centre.”

Councillors were full of praise for the plans, with Mirna Juarez describing it as “an exciting application for the city” and Pat Moloney adding how he was “quite impressed” by the proposal. Planning Committee chair Cllr Tony Concepcion said the development was “something the city wants and welcomes.”

When will Hemisphere be built?

Work is expected to get underway next year, with completion slated for 2025. The 120,000 sq ft building will be located on the northern edge of Paddington Village.

Consideration had been given to how the proposed new site would affect the visual impact of listed buildings including the city’s historic cathedrals, with Feargal McEvoy, city centre team leader, saying it represented “another success story for the city.”