The University of Liverpool’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Janet Beer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Patrick Hackett performed the traditional topping out ceremony for the Management School’s new £10m extension.
The ceremony, which sees oil, wine, salt, corn and a yew branch added to a concrete block which is then incorporated into the build, is an ancient ritual thought to have originated 5,000 years ago.
It marks an important moment in any construction – when the building reaches its highest point, or ‘tops out’.
Professor Dominic Elliott, Interim Director of the Management School, he said: “The new extension is central to the Management School’s development, following on from its entry into the Financial Times’ Top European Business School’s ranking and more recently the Economist’s top 100 Global Full Time MBA programmes.
“The flexible teaching space, mock trading room and new marketing suite will enable faculty to provide a wide range of learning experiences for our students, supporting them in developing their knowledge and employability skills.”
Due to open in September next year, the extension will incorporate facilities which enable a variety of different teaching styles in a modern environment.
Newly fitted teaching spaces will include two large lecture theatres, as well as flexible teaching rooms and computer suites. The largest lecture theatre will seat 166 and both will be fully equipped with AV systems and lecture capture facilities.
In addition to traditional teaching space, the School has invested in a state of the art Bloomberg Suite, resembling a professional trading floor. The 40 Bloomberg PC terminals will provide students with valuable access to financial data along with economic and business news.
To further enhance the learning experience, there will be a marketing suite which will function as a professional boardroom. This comprises of a conference room along with an observation suite and review room.
Flexible teaching space will be present throughout the building, with 3 rooms including a larger space with a breakout area for group work and discussion. In addition to the University libraries, the Management School will include an exclusive SAP suite with computer access during university hours.
Every floor will incorporate informal break out spaces, ideal for independent or group study outside of teaching hours. A café on the ground floor will be also be available for students to use during term time.
The Management School will be a central hub for students to attend one to one appointments with academics or our student support team. Academic enquiries can be taken at the student services desk close to the main entrance of the building.
The build has been carried out by the University of Liverpool’s Construction Company.
