Liverpool's independent home

Like much of Liverpool, Ropewalks' heritage can be traced back to ship building. Once bustling with warehouses and merchants' houses, the area was built for the city's seafaring trade. Its long, straight streets were used to weave rope for sale to ships docked in port. With the decline of the docks, the area became a slum and by the 1990s, when Urban Splash was in its infancy, it was deserted and unloved.

We took a chance.

We saw potential here and were convinced there must be other open-minded people who valued the character of these buildings as much as we did. Where businesses wanted more than bland, generic office spaces fitted with polystyrene ceiling tiles and inset fluorescent lighting.

We kickstarted the regeneration of Ropewalks with Concert Square. It was our first mixed use scheme and was home to the North West's first loft apartments. Plans also included Liverpool's first new public space in over 100 years. All of which has won us two RIBA awards.

Today, Ropewalks is the vibrant heart of Liverpool's independent cultural scene, full of creative businesses, art galleries, book and record shops, independent traders and cafés, fashion and entrepreneurial energy. At night, it has a buzz all of its own, with an eclectic crowd filling its streets to enjoy live music, bars, films and restaurants.

Great public transport links, loads of easy parking, plus bike racks and showers in all of our buildings make Ropewalks an ultra-accessible hub for independently-minded businesses and their teams.

Over the years, Urban Splash has delivered a number of buildings in the Ropewalks area, starting with the Tea Factory in 2000 and followed by the Vanilla Factory, Slater Studios, Concert Square and St. Peter’s Church. They have all helped to create a truly design led, mixed use environment with bars and restaurants, offices and homes all with a true urban village atmosphere.