The Liverpool School of Architecture hosted a vibrant event in April 2025, bringing together students, staff, and city representatives to explore the future of one of the city’s most culturally significant and strategically located neighbourhoods - Liverpool’s Chinatown.
The event highlighted innovative urban and architectural strategies developed by second-year undergraduate and postgraduate architecture students. Their proposals aim to revitalise the area surrounding Liverpool’s Chinatown and strengthen its connection to the waterfront, bridging key parts of the city centre, including the Baltic Triangle. This area is of increasing importance, with Liverpool City Council recently acquiring land for a new Chinatown development and committing to the construction of a new Baltic railway station nearby.
Professor Ola Uduku, Head of the School of Architecture, opened the event by welcoming attendees and emphasising the significance of student-led design in shaping the city’s future. She then invited Dr Junjie Xi to speak, whose leadership has been central to coordinating the project and fostering external partnerships.
Nuala Gallagher from Liverpool City Council shares her redevelopment plans.
Nuala Gallagher, Corporate Director of City Development at Liverpool City Council, joined the event with members of her team to present the Council’s vision for the Chinatown area and broader regeneration efforts. This provided important context for the students’ work and highlighted the real-world relevance of their proposals.
Following this, students presented their design concepts—each offering unique, creative solutions for improving connectivity, celebrating cultural identity, and promoting sustainable urban growth in the Chinatown district.
The session included a thought-provoking discussion led by Dr Paco Mejias Villatoro, which brought presenters, attendees, and city representatives into an open dialogue. The conversation explored the alignment and divergence between the students’ proposals and the Council’s plans, enriching the academic learning experience with real-world complexity.
Professor Tariq Ali, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement & Partnerships, brought the event to a close, highlighting how the session not only demonstrated the high calibre of design thinking among Liverpool’s architecture students, but also exemplified the School’s commitment to engaging with the city and contributing meaningfully to its future.