Liverpool waterfront: Canning Dock to tell the slave trade story

The winning team and area to be redeveloped

A plan to transform part of Liverpool's waterfront will bring the history of the transatlantic slave trade to life, according to museum bosses.

National Museums Liverpool (NML) said Canning Dock's redevelopment would be done by architects and an artist.

They will redesign the space between the Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island.

Architect Mariam Kamara said it was "a chance to explore the power of architecture as a storytelling tool" to bridge "gaps in knowledge".

The Royal Albert Dock was opened in 1846

Competition judges were unanimous in selecting architects Asif Khan Studio, Sir David Adjaye, Mariam Kamara and artist Theaster Gates for the project.

They intend to start by redeveloping the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, which used to be the home of Granada TV.

The renovated building will have a "dramatic new front door" leading to "spaces to explore and investigate the transatlantic slave trade and legacies," NML said.

The team then plans to build new bridges linking the Pump House to Mann Island and transform the two dry docks into an educational and cultural experience.

The site was once used in the 18th Century for fitting out, cleaning, and repairing ships, including those used in the transatlantic slave trade, and this "needs to be approached with sensitivity - linking the past with the present," NML said.

The Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building will be redeveloped with a "dramatic" new front door

Artist Theaster Gates said Canning Dock "represents one of the most important racialised sites in the UK".

He said the team wanted to "give emotional heft to the truth of slavery in the UK historically" by "using the tools of monument making and memorialising and commemoration".

Sir David Adjaye said the project was "an opportunity to powerfully reformulate the history of Liverpool through reinvigorating the diverse social, civic and environmental context of the city."

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority funded the competition with £120,000 but funds have not yet been secured to realise the project.