Liverpool added to The Modernist App
A new way to explore Liverpool's buildings has arrived, as we expand our free-to-use app with four brand-new tours of the city. Guiding users through an often overlooked chapter of Liverpool's recent history, the tours reveal the stories and people behind some of the city's most remarkable modernist landmarks.
Liverpool becomes the sixth city to join the app, following the successful Manchester launch in 2024.
Spanning Liverpool's university campus, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the retail and business districts, the four tours offer something for everyone — from hidden backstreet gems to the city's most celebrated architectural set pieces.
Each tour is designed to last around 90 minutes and is completely free to download via the Apple App Store and Google Play. They have been researched and devised by Dominic Wilkinson, Principal Lecturer in Architecture at Liverpool John Moores University, and come packed with photos, explainers and interactive maps.
Highlights along the route include the RC Metropolitan Cathedral, the Lewis's Building, and the Philharmonic Hall, alongside lesser-known treasures such as the Piazza Waterfall and the former HSBC Bank on Dale Street. The tours include works by Frederick Gibberd Basil Spence, William Mitchel and Mitzi Cunliffe
The app tours will officially launch in April 2026, accompanied by a series of associated events. These include a walking tour on 11 April, culminating at the exhibition Building in Focus: Beneath the River Mersey at RIBA North, Mann Island, and also a talk on the post-war redevelopment of the city by Dr Richard Brook of Lancaster University and Dominic Wilkinson of the Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) School of Architecture, to be held at the Utility Design Store.
You can reserve a place at the launch event/talk at UTILITY HERE
And book onto the walking tour HERE
The Liverpool tours have been made possible with support from the Arts & Culture Fund, delivered by Liverpool Business Improvement District (BID).
We are also grateful to UTILITY for their support of the launch event.
