The Florrie

THE FLORENCE INSTITUTE

RIBA Stages 0-7

The Florence Institute for Boys or ‘The Florrie’ as it’s known to most, is a stunning Grade II listed building in South Liverpool that
has a rich tapestry of history dating back to 1889. It’s a social, cultural, and educational hub, much-loved by the local
community. Open from the 1930’s until the 1980’s when it closed its doors and fell into disrepair, it remained closed for 23
years, until in 2012 the local community raised £7.5 million and restored it to its former glory. The refurbishment addressed
most parts of the building, with the exception of the huge basement which was simply left as bare storage rooms with no
distinctive purpose or use.

The Florrie originally provided ‘an acceptable place of recreation and instruction for the poor and working boys of this district of
the city’ and quickly became a hub for nurturing Liverpool’s local bands, musicians and sporting heritage with many
championship teams including gymnastics, baseball, basketball and of course, football.

With funding from the Youth Investment Fund (YIF), the Florrie appointed architects Unit3 Design Studio to come up with
concept designs of how the redundant basement floor could be transformed into a place that would nurture young talent,
provide a safe and secure space for young people, and facilitate areas that would spark ideas and offer opportunities to
children from disadvantaged backgrounds that they otherwise might not have. ‘The Basement’ was re-born!

Working with the client and a number of specialist consultants, Unit3 provided a series of inter-linked, fresh and vibrant spaces
that merged together a number of functions and uses, including; a cafe space, games and recreational areas, digital radio
station, work spaces, group activity spaces and a new state of the art cinema.

In order to harmoniously bind the spaces together, the architects worked closely with local graphic designer Anna Farrell who
created a bespoke 3D timeline of the Florrie’s history and its significant events spanning from the present day back to 1889 –
providing a fun and interactive way of illustrating the history of the building to a new generation of young people. Anna’s design
strategy utilised historical fragments of the buildings architectural design, which was then re-imagined as signage and
wayfinding, and carried through all the remaining spaces, linking the whole concept together whilst also giving the Basement its
own unique, but historically familiar identity.

The star of the Basement however is a state of the art cinema with luxury armchairs and the latest 4K projection technology
and digital surround sound. As well as being able to hold lectures, e-sport tournaments, talks and seminars, this space allows
young people the opportunity to come and see the latest films for free in a safe, luxurious and secure environment.

The sophisticated feel and aesthetic of the cinema empowers young visitors and gives them a sense of maturity, pride andownership.

Since opening, the Basement has had a big impact on both the L8 and wider community, and has been continuously in use by local schools, charities, youth and community groups. Due to its popularity, the Florrie has also been successful in gaining further funding to support the employment of two additional youth workers.

Unit3 are both honored and privileged to have worked with the Florrie, and to have played a small part in the historical evolution of this fantastic community building and organisation.

Shortlisted for the Northern Design Awards 2024 – Best Social Space

Completed

Unit3 are an award winning multi-disciplinary design studio based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. We work across three design sectors (architecture, graphic design and creative media) and help clients across the UK and internationally achieve great designs.

If you have a project in mind and would like to meet us, get in touch!