Live Project: Williamson’s Tunnels Entrance Pavillion

from Thiranagama, Sandali

by Architecture@LJMU

Specialist Study: Reality in Fiction

LIVE PROJECT

Williamson’s Tunnels Entrance Pavillion

BRIEF

Williamsons Tunnels features a series of underground spaces, carved out of red sandstone of Edge Hill. Unfortunately the tunnels were filled in and forgotten about and only existed in mythology, but now these have been recovered progressively through hand excavation by a team of volunteers. With the construction of the railway cutting into the Lime Street Station, the tunnels were separated into two parts. Much larger and deeper northern section based around the Williamson town house site in Mason street is still being excavated. Nevertheless, northern section has now reached a point where some spaces could be accessed by the public. Currently the volunteers who are involved in excavation are based in a portacabin at the mason street site. Therefore, to station volunteers properly and to open premises to the public, FoW requires a small structure with the provision for the staff, a location for PPE equipment and an introductory space for visitors for these activities to be carried out in a more suitable environment and their public events to be more suitably accommodated.