Giant mural by renowned artist Anthony Burrill set to adorn Liverpool building

A giant ‘thought-provoking’ mural encapsulating Liverpool’s shared community spirit could soon adorn the side of a multi-storey building in the city centre.

The proposed work, by internationally renowned graphic artist Anthony Burrill, would feature on the gable end of Regian House, on James Street. The building was formerly home to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and has since been converted into residential apartments.

In documents made public by Liverpool Council’s planning department, property management company Livingway Group said the artwork on the 80,000 sqft building would be ‘a thought provoking message, in the spirit of Liverpool and its people’.

Artist Burrill, who was born in Lancashire and now lives in Kent, has worked held in the permanent collections of the V&A and The Design Museum in London, The CooperHewitt in New York and has been exhibited in galleries around the world including The Barbican Gallery in London, The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, The Triennale in Milan and The Stedelijk Museum in Breda.

The message: Plans said the art work would use ‘words that speak of community, belonging, friendship and being human’. Adding: “The most important aspect of life is how we connect with each other and how those connections enrich our lives. The public artwork will act as an everyday reminder of this sense of shared community and create an anchoring presence within the fabric of the city.”

The style: The planning application detailed how Burrill frequently collaborates with other disciplines spanning music, architecture, curation, education protest and more; “pushing his traditional discipline of choice, letterpress printing, into bold new territories.” It added: “Whether working on an art school pavilion, an acid house record, a book or a poster design, Burrill’s work is instantly recognisable.” A piece by Mr Burrill, similar to the work proposed for Regian House, was also committed to a building in Leeds.

When: A date for the application to be heard by Liverpool Council’s planning officials has yet to be confirmed.