Littlewoods Building, Liverpool
A landmark 1930s Art Deco building transformed into a sustainable, media-led mixed-use destination
Location
North of England
Client
Capital & Centric
Partner
ShedKM
Sector
Arts, Culture & Leisure, Workplace
Theme
Retrofit
Services Provided
A landmark 1930s Art Deco building is being reimagined as a sustainable, media-led mixed-use destination - transforming Liverpool’s iconic Littlewoods Building into a world-class film and TV campus while retaining its historic character.
Located alongside Wavertree Park, the £70 million redevelopment is breathing new life into the former Littlewoods Pools headquarters, preserving its kilometre-long stucco façade and restoring the building as a creative hub for the city’s growing screen industries.
Our engineering team is delivering the full MEP design for the masterplan, covering the refurbishment of the existing East and West Wings, the transformation of the central Hangar, and the delivery of two new 20,000 sq ft sound stages.
A Heritage Retrofit for the Screen Industry
The adaptive reuse of the 1930s structure balances conservation and innovation - reinstating the building’s clock tower, restoring its elegant façades, and introducing new terraces and workspace within the retained shell. The Hangar, a 1960s addition, will become a public destination featuring five cinema screens, a performance space and a food hall, while the surrounding landscape will connect directly into Wavertree Park, celebrating Liverpool’s film heritage.
Engineering for a Low-Carbon Future
Designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent, the scheme adopts an all-electric strategy powered by air source heat pumps for heating and cooling, supported by high-efficiency heat recovery ventilation. We have coordinated utilities applications for water, electricity and fibre - including diversions and disconnections - and designed EV charging and landscape lighting in collaboration with the landscape architect.
Due to the scale and electrical demand of the new production stages, a new primary substation has been secured to serve the development, futureproofing energy capacity across the site. The sound stage design demanded enhanced acoustic and fire performance, ensuring spaces meet the stringent standards of major film and television production environments.
A Regeneration of National Significance
The Littlewoods Project is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most ambitious examples of heritage-led regeneration - combining adaptive reuse with high-performance, low-carbon engineering. Once complete, it will deliver over 275,000 sq ft of studios, workspaces and public realm, cementing Liverpool’s position as a national centre for film and creative production.
