Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: forbidden planet, Liverpool

Forbidden Planet Liverpool Redesign To Better Match Its Listed Status

Forbidden Planet Liverpool has had a redesign to better match its building's listed status, and reopens tomorrow

Bold Street in Liverpool, England, is known for its concentration of independent businesses and for the Church of St Luke. known locally as the "bombed-out church", which is situated at the top end of the street. The bottom end leads into the area surrounding Clayton Square, which is part of the main retail district of central Liverpool and is a pedestrianised area. Originally a "ropewalk" area, a long, thin area of land used in the manufacture of rope, where they used to literally measure the rope from the top of Bold Street to the bottom, because at over 300 metres it was the standard length needed for sailing ships. The history of the street, including the home of physician Jonathan Binns, an 18th-century abolitionist, has led to the retail area being given Grade II listed protection. However, as a result, it has become more difficult to rent out to businesses, with restrictions on renovation, hit by issues with damp, and the area has, at times, fallen into disrepair.

That includes 92 Bold Street, home to Forbidden Planet Liverpool since the nineties – it was opened by Adam West. Built in 1872 and designed by Glasweigan architect Alexander Thomson in the fashion of the Greek revival. The two storeys above the storefront are stone-fronted, the first floor has three windows divided by Corinthian pilasters with brackets, pilasters at sides, and carved frieze and cornice. The second floor has only columns between the bays, the windows being deeply recessed, and a heavy top entablature. It is where the famous animal painters and illustrators, the Barraud brothers, had their photographic studio and where Francis Barraud painted his portrait of Nipper the dog with a phonograph, better known as the HMV logo, in 1898. But, as you can see, there is a bit of a divide when it comes to the look at ground level and above ground. Well, the store is relaunching this weekend after a redesign that intends to at least make that discontinuity a little less obvious. Forbidden Planet owns the store outright and has taken out the black & white prefab frontage and restored and rebuilt the classic Victorian shopfront look. They've also rebuilt the interior and have restored and relit their huge model of the Enterprise NCC-1701-D and re-suspended it from the ceiling. And it now looks like this:

Relaunching on Saturday, they will have a signing by Liverpool's own Ramsey Campbell from 2 to 3pm. Chris Shepherd will be signing his Liverpool graphic novel Anfield Road between 3.30 and 4.30pm. And the first hundred people through the doors from 9.30am tomorrow will receive grab bags. Forbidden Planet Liverpool will also have 3-for-2 Manga and 10% discount for students and blue light card holders, and all customers can enter an exclusive in-store-only prize draw to win a pop-culture bundle worth over £300.

So will you be popping by the new look store?

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