The Museum of Liverpool has been awarded £1.2m in damages after a judge found AEW Architects & Designers liable for a series of design problems that beset the waterfront museum’s £72m construction.
The museum took a case to the High Court in London claiming £3.2m damages for negligence over work that it said fell below expected professional standards.
The case centred around the construction of an amphitheatre-style seating area outside the museum.
AEW accepted that it had altered its building plans without properly informing or seeking permission from the museum after contractors warned of geometric flaws in the original design.
In late 2009, the architects decided to install a plinth arrangement to rectify those flaws. The museum's executive director Sharon Granville told the court of her shock on seeing the plinth for the first time, describing it as an "abomination".
The structure was subsequently removed at high cost and parts of the terrace are still closed to the public as the museum has been unable to afford the necessary remedial works.
In his summary of the case, Mr Justice Akenhead said: “It is simply extraordinary that competent architects could consider that it was acceptable to adopt the plinth solution in any event given their client's aspirations and wishes and, even worse, without seeking the informed approval of its client.”
The judge ordered AEW to pay £1.2m, and also found the joint building contractors Galliford Try and Danish firm Pihl partially liable and ordered them to pay £205,000 of the total damages.
Ceiling flaws
Mr Justice Akenhead also found in favour of the museum over construction flaws in the building’s suspended ceiling, which have caused a number of additional problems.
Weeks before the museum’s opening in 2011, a large number of ceiling panels fell down in the Creative City gallery, injuring a workman and damaging the exhibition. Panels in other areas of the building were found to be hanging down and in danger of collapse.
In another incident in January 2012, high winds dislodged further ceiling tiles, with one hitting a visitor on the shoulder.
The judge will announce a separate financial award for the ceiling flaws in the next few weeks. The museum expects to receive 87% of the balance of its claim.
Granville said the museum was “very pleased with the outcome”.
She said: “This financial award for the external works means that we will now be able to rectify the long-standing issues with the external steps and terraces at the museum and make them accessible to the public as soon as possible.
"We are grateful for Mr Justice Akenhead's decision and await the financial award for the ceilings inside the museum in a few weeks’ time.”
Update
21.08.2013
Mr Justice Akenhead award National Museums Liverpool a further £1.24m yesterday, relating to design faults on some of ceilings inside the museum.
Sharon Granville, executive director, Museum of Liverpool said: "We are very pleased with this latest settlement. In total we've had more than £2.3m awarded to us in damages with further sums in indemnities on top of that. Interest and costs will be awarded in October.
"This is great news for our visitors as it means we can rectify long-standing issues with the building and make areas accessible to the public in the near future."
The museum took a case to the High Court in London claiming £3.2m damages for negligence over work that it said fell below expected professional standards.
The case centred around the construction of an amphitheatre-style seating area outside the museum.
AEW accepted that it had altered its building plans without properly informing or seeking permission from the museum after contractors warned of geometric flaws in the original design.
In late 2009, the architects decided to install a plinth arrangement to rectify those flaws. The museum's executive director Sharon Granville told the court of her shock on seeing the plinth for the first time, describing it as an "abomination".
The structure was subsequently removed at high cost and parts of the terrace are still closed to the public as the museum has been unable to afford the necessary remedial works.
In his summary of the case, Mr Justice Akenhead said: “It is simply extraordinary that competent architects could consider that it was acceptable to adopt the plinth solution in any event given their client's aspirations and wishes and, even worse, without seeking the informed approval of its client.”
The judge ordered AEW to pay £1.2m, and also found the joint building contractors Galliford Try and Danish firm Pihl partially liable and ordered them to pay £205,000 of the total damages.
Ceiling flaws
Mr Justice Akenhead also found in favour of the museum over construction flaws in the building’s suspended ceiling, which have caused a number of additional problems.
Weeks before the museum’s opening in 2011, a large number of ceiling panels fell down in the Creative City gallery, injuring a workman and damaging the exhibition. Panels in other areas of the building were found to be hanging down and in danger of collapse.
In another incident in January 2012, high winds dislodged further ceiling tiles, with one hitting a visitor on the shoulder.
The judge will announce a separate financial award for the ceiling flaws in the next few weeks. The museum expects to receive 87% of the balance of its claim.
Granville said the museum was “very pleased with the outcome”.
She said: “This financial award for the external works means that we will now be able to rectify the long-standing issues with the external steps and terraces at the museum and make them accessible to the public as soon as possible.
"We are grateful for Mr Justice Akenhead's decision and await the financial award for the ceilings inside the museum in a few weeks’ time.”
Update
21.08.2013
Mr Justice Akenhead award National Museums Liverpool a further £1.24m yesterday, relating to design faults on some of ceilings inside the museum.
Sharon Granville, executive director, Museum of Liverpool said: "We are very pleased with this latest settlement. In total we've had more than £2.3m awarded to us in damages with further sums in indemnities on top of that. Interest and costs will be awarded in October.
"This is great news for our visitors as it means we can rectify long-standing issues with the building and make areas accessible to the public in the near future."
