Bluecoat Chambers
Encyclopedia
The Bluecoat is an arts centre in School Lane, Liverpool
, Merseyside
, England and claims to be the oldest arts centre in Great Britain. It is a Grade I listed building and is meant to be the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool (however, buildings on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Pomona St demonstrate older characteristics as well as those in the courtyard behind the Thomas Rigby building). It was originally built as a charity school
in the early 18th century. The school moved to another site in 1906, and since then the building has been used as an arts centre. It was damaged in the Liverpool Blitz
in 1941 and restored after the Second World War
. During the 2000s the building was further restored and a new wing was added. It was reopened in March 2008 to celebrate Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture
.
, Liverpool Blue Coat School
. Construction began in 1716 and the building, though still incomplete, soon opened as a school in 1718. By the following year it had 50 children, with room for 100 more, and construction was finally completed in 1725. Originally, the rear of the school resembled the front but in 1821 it was rebuilt giving it a convex-shaped elevation. The school moved to a new site in Wavertree in 1906. The building was threatened with demolition but it was saved by the soapmaker William Lever
and Charles Reilly, the head of the Liverpool School of Architecture. This school used part of the building and in 1907 the Sandon Studios Society, an arts club, occupied other parts. The School of Architecture moved out in 1925 and a charitable trust
, the Bluecoat Society of Arts, was set up to run the building.
On 3 May 1941, during the Liverpool blitz
, the concert hall and adjoining rooms were severely damaged by an incendiary bomb
and during the following night the rear wing was destroyed by a bomb blast. After the war the building was restored, the restoration being completed in 1951. The Bluecoat Display Centre, a contemporary craft gallery, opened in the rear courtyard in 1959.
containing a clock. On the roof is an octagonal cupola
with round-arched openings, attached Ionic
columns and a copper cap with a finial
. The wings have three storeys; they are eleven bays long and one bay wide. On the ground and first floor the windows are square-headed while those on the top floor are oval. The end elevations have arched windows which match the central block. All the large windows have keystones
with cherubs
' heads. The main door in the centre of the central block has Ionic columns with a broken pediment containing a cartouche
of the arms
of Liverpool. Each wing has three square-headed doors approached by steps. The wall, railings and gatepiers on School Lane are also listed Grade I.
Between 2005 and 2008 the building was renovated and a new 2250 square metre extension was added at a cost of £12.5 million, the architects being BIQ Architecten. The architects found that there were 32 different floor levels in the old building. They carried out much structural change to produce exhibition areas with better accessibility. The new extension is built mainly in brick to link with the old building, although it has a copper roof and more modern materials internally. The new wing houses a flexible performance area and four art galleries. In addition to performance areas and art galleries, the complex provides studios for artists and craftspeople, a restaurant and a café and a number of retail outlets.
appeared at the Bluecoat at a time before she met John Lennon
.
, by Andy Burnham
, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
. The opening exhibition, entitled Now Then, showed work by five artists, including Yoko Ono. During the early summer a display entitled Mr Roscoe's Garden, comprising part of Liverpool's Botanic Collection, was held. On 13 May a fire broke out in a kitchen on the first floor of the west wing causing significant damage, although 80% of the building was unaffected.
The centre organises a series of events, exhibitions and concerts. Coffee and light meals are available in the Espresso Bar. Following a fire, the Upstairs Restaurant Bar reopened in November 2008.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England and claims to be the oldest arts centre in Great Britain. It is a Grade I listed building and is meant to be the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool (however, buildings on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Pomona St demonstrate older characteristics as well as those in the courtyard behind the Thomas Rigby building). It was originally built as a charity school
Charity school
A charity school, also called Blue Coat School, was significant in the History of education in England. They were erected and maintained in various parishes, by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants, for teaching poor children to read, write, and other necessary parts of education...
in the early 18th century. The school moved to another site in 1906, and since then the building has been used as an arts centre. It was damaged in the Liverpool Blitz
Liverpool Blitz
The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the British city of Liverpool and its surrounding area, at the time mostly within the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire but commonly known as Merseyside, during the Second World War by the German Luftwaffe.Liverpool, Bootle, and the...
in 1941 and restored after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the 2000s the building was further restored and a new wing was added. It was reopened in March 2008 to celebrate Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
.
History
It was built by Bryan Blundell, a sea captain, as a residential charity schoolCharity school
A charity school, also called Blue Coat School, was significant in the History of education in England. They were erected and maintained in various parishes, by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants, for teaching poor children to read, write, and other necessary parts of education...
, Liverpool Blue Coat School
Liverpool Blue Coat School
The Liverpool Blue Coat School is a voluntary aided secondary school located in Wavertree, Liverpool and is Liverpool's only Grammar School. The school was for many years a boys' school but as of September 2002 it has reverted to its original coeducational remit.The Blue Coat School holds a...
. Construction began in 1716 and the building, though still incomplete, soon opened as a school in 1718. By the following year it had 50 children, with room for 100 more, and construction was finally completed in 1725. Originally, the rear of the school resembled the front but in 1821 it was rebuilt giving it a convex-shaped elevation. The school moved to a new site in Wavertree in 1906. The building was threatened with demolition but it was saved by the soapmaker William Lever
William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme
William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme was an English industrialist, philanthropist, and politician....
and Charles Reilly, the head of the Liverpool School of Architecture. This school used part of the building and in 1907 the Sandon Studios Society, an arts club, occupied other parts. The School of Architecture moved out in 1925 and a charitable trust
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
, the Bluecoat Society of Arts, was set up to run the building.
On 3 May 1941, during the Liverpool blitz
Liverpool Blitz
The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the British city of Liverpool and its surrounding area, at the time mostly within the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire but commonly known as Merseyside, during the Second World War by the German Luftwaffe.Liverpool, Bootle, and the...
, the concert hall and adjoining rooms were severely damaged by an incendiary bomb
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
and during the following night the rear wing was destroyed by a bomb blast. After the war the building was restored, the restoration being completed in 1951. The Bluecoat Display Centre, a contemporary craft gallery, opened in the rear courtyard in 1959.
Architecture
The Bluecoat is built in brick with painted stone dressings and a slate roof. It encloses three sides of a quadrangle and is separated from School Lane by a low wall with railings and gatepiers. The central block of five bays has two storeys with round-arched windows; the central three bays project forwards under a pedimentPediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
containing a clock. On the roof is an octagonal cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
with round-arched openings, attached Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns and a copper cap with a finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. The wings have three storeys; they are eleven bays long and one bay wide. On the ground and first floor the windows are square-headed while those on the top floor are oval. The end elevations have arched windows which match the central block. All the large windows have keystones
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
with cherubs
Putto
A putto is a figure of an infant often depicted as a young male. Putti are defined as chubby, winged or wingless, male child figure in nude. Putti are distinct from cherubim, but some English-speakers confuse them with each other, except that in the plural, "the Cherubim" refers to the biblical...
' heads. The main door in the centre of the central block has Ionic columns with a broken pediment containing a cartouche
Cartouche (design)
A cartouche is an oval or oblong design with a slightly convex surface, typically edged with ornamental scrollwork. It is used to hold a painted or low relief design....
of the arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Liverpool. Each wing has three square-headed doors approached by steps. The wall, railings and gatepiers on School Lane are also listed Grade I.
Between 2005 and 2008 the building was renovated and a new 2250 square metre extension was added at a cost of £12.5 million, the architects being BIQ Architecten. The architects found that there were 32 different floor levels in the old building. They carried out much structural change to produce exhibition areas with better accessibility. The new extension is built mainly in brick to link with the old building, although it has a copper roof and more modern materials internally. The new wing houses a flexible performance area and four art galleries. In addition to performance areas and art galleries, the complex provides studios for artists and craftspeople, a restaurant and a café and a number of retail outlets.
Exhibitions and events
Over the years the Bluecoat hosted a range of cultural and arts-associated events. These included art exhibitions, debates, discussions, public meetings and campaigns, poetry readings, musical concerts and recitals, and cultural lectures. It held book, record, and antiques fairs and became a centre for working artists and craftspeople. Some of the events have continued to hold a place in history. In 1911, a controversial Post-Impressionist exhibition took place, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, and Van Gogh, this being the first UK exhibition of these artists outside London. In 1967 Yoko OnoYoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
appeared at the Bluecoat at a time before she met John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
.
Post-restoration
The Bluecoat was reopened on 15 March 2008, during Liverpool's year as a European Capital of CultureEuropean Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
, by Andy Burnham
Andrew Burnham
Andrew Murray Burnham is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leigh since 2001. He served in the Cabinet under Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Culture Secretary and Health Secretary. He was a candidate in the 2010 Labour...
, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport is a United Kingdom cabinet position with responsibility for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The role was created in 1992 by John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage...
. The opening exhibition, entitled Now Then, showed work by five artists, including Yoko Ono. During the early summer a display entitled Mr Roscoe's Garden, comprising part of Liverpool's Botanic Collection, was held. On 13 May a fire broke out in a kitchen on the first floor of the west wing causing significant damage, although 80% of the building was unaffected.
The centre organises a series of events, exhibitions and concerts. Coffee and light meals are available in the Espresso Bar. Following a fire, the Upstairs Restaurant Bar reopened in November 2008.