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Salt and Tar

Category: Commercial
Location: Liverpool

Client Brief

DV8 Designs were re-appointed by Sefton Council on a vision to bring life and purpose into the disused site by the canal next to the Strand in Bootle, Merseyside.

The focus of the brief was to provide designs for a contemporary community destination for outdoor events and concerts. The premise of the venue was to be a multi-operator food and beverage container park offering a climbing wall, to complement the event space and make it a place local people and visitors to the region would have on their must visit lists.

Objective

The vision for Salt and Tar was to leverage the shift towards environmental sustainability, showcasing stacked containers that create a unique ambiance, combining rustic finishes, with recycled structures and materials.

The development aimed to bring a lively daytime, evening, and nighttime economy to the area through new leisure, food, and drink opportunities with detailed plans in place that include bars, food outlets and canal-side access.

Approach

The design embraced an electric mix of colourful and upcycled elements, complemented by lush greenery to offer a vibrant and dynamic event space, where visitors can indulge in a diverse range of flavours while enjoying live performances and a bustling social atmosphere. We worked hard to re-imagine and transform an underused space into a large live event and culinary destination.

The overall design was approached to incorporate feature signage, lighting and rooftop gardens aimed to add further charm to the overall aesthetic. The feature Industrial lighting paid homage to Bootle’s industrial past, in keeping with the new branding and name “Salt and Tar” which refers to the town’s rich industrial heritage, with the Brotherton’s Tar Distillery on Hawthorne Road, and the area’s historic link to the salt trade.

Outcome

The new destination approved by Sefton Council’s Cabinet, was developed as part of an updated Strategy & Business Plan, which seeks to cement the area’s role and contribute to the revitalisation of The Strand and wider Bootle town centre economy.

The 3000-capacity event space maximises on expansive waterside views, utilising canal-side access to provide additional opportunity for leisure experiences. An event calendar is in place including a music festival with high profile headline acts, a Food and Drink Festival, outdoor cinema screenings, community events and live music, markets, and beer festivals as well as a Christmas event programme.

This was a hugely exciting opportunity for the area, and DV8 Designs are proud to have been appointed again as trusted concept designers for Sefton Council. Our experience and expertise in this area has proven to be a strong conduit to driving revenue into the local economy.

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