http://www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/News-and-Comment/Spectacular-show-for-Liver-buildings-100th

3D son et lumiere event to say happy birthday to city's favourite old birds

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IT may have started out as a design that the sniffy didn't want on their waterfront, but the Liver building is 100 this year.

What better way to celebrate a building that's standing loud and proud than with an event that's the same?

A special free On The Waterfront weekend at the Pier Head will mark the centenary, with all the usual live music and also a UK first which organisers say will astound audiences.

Every evening from 22-24 July, a 3D Son et Lumiere spectacular from Czech Republic artists The Macula will use images and sound to bring the building to life in a show. So confident are Liverpol City Council that this is something truly extraordinary that they say they hope people will talk about for generations to come.

There will even be illuminated fish in the canal.

The spectacle will take the History of the city over the last 800 years – from civil war and industrial revolution, to World War Two and the Beatles.

Across the way, the city’s newest building will also be on the receiving end of some of this. The new Museum of Liverpool, which will have opened just a few days earlier on19 July, will host its own 3D projection.

It plans to create a new waterfront dimension, billed as "changing the perception of seemingly ordinary objects, and at the same time shattering the viewer’s perception and perspective".

The Macula, whose installations in Prague and Dubai are pictured here, are working in the Uk for the first time. Spokesman Martin Posta said: "The Liverpool challenge is one of the most important events for The Macula team in 2011.

“The On The Waterfront event should be the place where modern architectural mapping meets Liverpool's History and its contemporaneousness. In our conception, the creative approach to the projection should come from the historical differences of the buildings.

“The Royal Liver Building should represent the old, traditional aspect of Liverpool’s History, drawing inspiration from the uniqueness of the architecture and depicting the city’s 800-year-History on the surface of the building. At the same time we want to reflect its significance as a symbol of the wealth during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century."

Meanwhile, expect to find blues singer Connie Lush and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra entertaining the crowds.

Throughout each evening, giant, illuminated lanterns representing key points in the city’s History will be on display at the Pier Head. There will be an extended opening of the Museum of Liverpool from 10am to 10pm.

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “The Liver Building was controversial from the start - it was the first to use reinforced concrete which was revolutionary at the time, but because of the modern look of the building, people didn’t take to it at first. And now we can safely say it’s one of the most loved buildings in the city.

“July really is going to be a month to remember and we hope thousands of people will take the opportunity to be part of this memorable, free event which is sure to be one of the major highlights of 2011.

The final On the Waterfront event will take place from 8-15 September 2011 and will see a new-look Mersey River Festival return for the first time since 2005. A Royal Navy visit along with Cunard Cruise Liners, including the new Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary 2, will all be part of the much-anticipated activities.

Sound like a date for the dairy

Quite looking forward to this myself! 

looks good...get the cameras ready!

DIARY even

I can't wait for sept mersey river festival,but sadly can't be there in my boat,got no crew!

I'll be a crew memeber for the sakes of you attending !

pp you do realise you'll end up with about 14 crew members now lol.......how much wine can a boat hold lol

sounds like a fantastic event i will be there as ever

these are great these shows, really brings the building to life.

A quick reminder folks. This is happening this weekend. I doubt I will go over but I will get some pictures from over this side if its worth photographing. I would have gone over but someone talked me out of it.

Do we know what time the Liver Building will be lit up? Going to watch from our side off the water.

I guess as soon as it goes dark. Thats late enough as it is at this time of year.

Yer, just dont want to travel all that way and be waiting around for ages