Liverpool updates wayfinding for 2008

Liverpool City Council has appointed Wood & Wood Design to update Liverpool’s wayfinding system, in preparation for the city’s reign as European City of Culture in 2008. Wood & Wood designed Liverpool’s street signage and wayfinding just four years ago, but claims that the city has changed sufficiently to necessitate a revamp.

The London-based wayfinding consultancy is revising 90 fingerposts, as well as designing 25 map structures. It will also create a new city centre map. Appointed in August, and on schedule for a 12 January 2008 unveil ing of the new signs, city map and map structures, Wood & Wood says that it spent more than six months persuading the council to go ahead with the revamp.

‘We have been negotiating with the council since the beginning of this year, knowing that there were problems with the system because of the new buildings,’ says Wood & Wood business development manager Angus Tilbury. ‘The city centre has developed so dramatically that it must change the mapping and signs if visitors and residents are to easily locate important new destinations in the city.’ New developments and restoration projects completed in the past few years include the dock area, named a world heritage site in 2004, and King’s Waterfront, which incorporates a new arena (pictured), a conference and exhibition centre, and hotel and residential accommodation.

Wood & Wood is also working with Grosvenor, developer of the Liverpool One development, on a wayfinding system to complement the city signage. The new permanent system will remain in place beyond Liverpool08.