Climate Cultures Studio (CCS)

“The chief function of the city is to convert power into form, energy into culture.”
Lewis Mumford

Our Approach

Climate Cultures Studio explores the intersections between culture and climate, with architecture as the medium. Buildings reflect human culture: how we live our lives, what we do at home, at work, at play. We can design buildings to use more or less energy, in harmony or opposition to the climate around us. This has implications for how we employ technology – technical solutions may be more efficient, but can also make us more dependent on existing systems. Fundamentally architectural design relies on our ability to imagine that things can be different – to weigh up alternative possibilities – and change the future.

In semester 1 we explored our dependence on energy infrastructure through the design of an energy centre, or small power station. These structures are typically black boxes that turn their back on the world outside. Can a closer relationship to the source of our energy contribute something civic to the city? QqIn semester 2 students developed a cultural building alongside their energy centre on Liverpool Docks, symbolising the transformation of energy into culture.

Culture House

Design beginnings, not endings.”
Brian Eno

When English National Opera was instructed by Arts Council England to move out of London to retain its public funding, it was described as an indefensible act of cultural vandalism. Also, Liverpool docks was recently stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage status due to the ‘irreversible loss’ caused by new development such as the Museum of Liverpool and the new Everton FC stadium at Bramley Moore Dock. The Culture House project challenges the idea of the North as a cultural wasteland, and the idea that heritage is incompatible with change, through the design of a new opera house, theatre or concert hall as part of the regeneration of Liverpool docks. Puppet Opera – Peiqi Yan Visit to Compenhagen Concert Hall The Culture House is intended as a place to escape, to dream, to bring communities together. Architecturally, the opera house, theatre or concert hall was once a statement of cultural and civic pride, contributing to the identity of a city. What is an appropriate language for such a building in the present? Can a design be simultaneously appropriate for its context, culturally and contemporaneously relevant, while representing the design aspirations of the architect? Should it be beautiful? What is beautiful?

Header Image: Puppet Opera – Peiqi Yan

Tutors

Ranald Lawrence Jitender Shambi Paul Bower Peter Mitchel

Special Thanks

Steve Barker
Adam Booth
David Britch
Isabel Britch
Eamonn Canniffe
Matt Fielding
Rachael Hanmer-Dwight Sophie McCombes
Daniel McLean
Krzysztof Nawratek
Ben Parker
Michael Southern
May Tang
Dominic Walker
Danish Radio
Greater Manchester Arts Centre
The Royal Danish Opera University of Liverpool Energy Company

Student Galleries

Studio photo in Abercromby Square

Students

  • Catherine Abela
  • Elena Bandar
  • Oakley Bates
  • Max Bonner
  • Yiding Chen
  • Zhaoming Cui
  • Tianyi Dai
  • Betsy Day
  • Alex De Luca
  • Ben Ellis
  • Tianrui Guo
  • Sasha Hanslip-Ward
  • Jake Paul Hill
  • Sophie Hughes
  • Pang Fei Hui
  • Jake Paul Hill
  • Sophie Hughes
  • Harry Jenkins
  • Chengfan Jiang
  • Senai Kabba
  • Marco Lam
  • Jingchi Li
  • Zhiyu Liu
  • Ziyu Liu
  • Weiwen Liu
  • Pete Mercer
  • Tehya Rana
  • Haroon Rehman
  • Tianyi Shen
  • Ally Sloan
  • Zihao Wang
  • Harry Whittaker
  • Youtian Xiao
  • Chengqing Xu
  • Jiayu Xu
  • Peiqi Yan
  • Xinyue Zhao
  • Zihan Zhao
  • Yanda Zhu