California Maritime Museum

History

The history of the Port of Liverpool Building dates back to 1898, when the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB) decided to close down and infill George’s Dock, which was located on the site of what is the Pier Head today. The land was sold to the Liverpool Corporation in 1900, although the MDHB opted to keep the southern section, so that they could build a new central headquarters for the company, having been previously located at various sites around the city, including the Old Custom’s House.

In 1900, a committee was set up by the MDHB to plan and develop a new building for the company. Under the leadership of Robert Gladstone, a competition was launched for local architects to submit designs for the new building. Alfred Waterhouse, a renowned local architect was brought in to help judge the competition and prizes of 300, 200 and 100 were offered for the three best designs. In total, seven entries were submitted, with the winning design being that of the architects Sir Arnold Thornley and F.B. Hobbs, which had been developed in collaboration with Briggs and Wolstenholme. Due to boundary changes of the land on which the building was to be built, amendments were made to the design, most notably with the central dome, which was only added at the last minute.

A pre-1914 view from the Mersey, showing a gap on the left, where the Cunard Building is now located

In 1903, with the design now confirmed, the MDHB requested that a number of builders submit a tender document for the construction of the building to the revised design. Over 30 builders were contacted, with William Brown & Son of Manchester winning the contract to construct the new building. Work began in 1904, with the first nine months of construction focusing on laying the building’s foundations, which were dug to a depth of 3040 ft below ground level. The building’s frame was built from reinforced concrete, which was then clad in Portland Stone, a design that meant the building was more fire resistant than with other structural forms. It was completed in 1907 at a cost of approximately 250,000, although when the cost of furniture, fittings and professional fees was taken into account, the total cost was nearer 350,000. Staff from the MDHB headquarters officially moved into the building on 15 July 1907, with staff from departments located in other areas of the city moving in throughout the rest of the year.

During the Second World War, Liverpool’s importance as a major port saw it become a target for the Luftwaffe and during the May Blitz of 1941, a heavy bomb exploded in the basement, on the eastern side of the building. The damage from the explosion was significant with the eastern wing being seriously damaged by fire. Nonetheless the building’s structural integrity meant that much of the building could be re-occupied with only temporary repairs. In the aftermath of the war the building was fully restored; the cost of restoration exceeding the original construction costs

The building acted as the head offices of the MDHB (renamed the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company in 1972) for some 87 years. In 1994, the company moved to new headquarters at the Maritime Centre near Seaforth Dock in the north of the City, in order to be closer to what was now the centre of Liverpool’s docking system. However, the company remained the owners of the building until 2001 when it was acquired by Liverpool-based property group Downing.

Plans submitted in 2005 for the restoration of the building were approved by Liverpool City Council. The scheme involved major internal and external work that would fully restore the Grade II* listed building. The plans included opening the building to the public, by creating a new viewing floor inside the dome and a publicly accessible sunken piazza on the riverside frontage that would providing a small parade of restaurants, cafes and shops. A sixth level of the building, which had been “dismantled” in the aftermath of the Second World War was also to be restored, providing a series of luxury apartments. The first stage of the renovation was completed in early 2008, when the restoration of the Portland stone on the river facing side of the building was completed. The 10m restoration project was fully completed in early 2009, when the last scaffolding was removed from the outside of the building and 20,000 sq ft of refurbished office space was completed.

Architectural design

The building’s central dome is the main focal point of the building, although it was not part of the original design

The Port of Liverpool Building is one of the Three Graces that line the Pier Head and the architectural features were designed to be reflective of Liverpool’s importance to the maintenance of the British Empire. However, the building that exists today is actually a modified version of the originally chosen design. Initially, the plan had called for the main entrance of the building to be located on the south west corner, but boundary changes to land on which it was to be built, meant that building model was significantly revised to give it the symmetrical look it has today. Even more notably, the initial model didn’t include the large dome that sits so prominently above the building today. Inspired by an unused design for Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, which had been developed several years earlier, the architects added the dome to the design in order to give the building a more imposing look. This decision, however, was not without controversy, as many board members believed that it should not be down to the Port Authority to “beautify the town”. Nonetheless, it was added to the design, becoming the focal point of the building itself.

Designed in Edwardian Baroque style, the Port of Liverpool Building’s structural form has been likened to those of Renaissance palaces. Approximately 264ft by 216ft in size, the building rises to 220ft in height, making it the thirteenth tallest building in the city. Covering five floors, the main body of the building is 80 ft tall to the cornice. The main entrance is located in the centre of the river-facing side of the building and is flanked by two three-metre high, stone statues of women representing “Commerce” and “Industry”, which were designed by Charles John Allen. Each corner of the building is canted and has a tall hexagonal turret that is topped by a stone cupola, which would have originally been crowned by a lantern. Due to the centrally domed design of the building, it has been compared architecturally to many other buildings throughout the world, including Belfast City Hall, the Capitol Building, St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Maritime references are a common feature in the building’s decoration

The Port of Liverpool Building was constructed using a reinforced concrete frame, which not only made the building structurally strong, but also much more fire resistant than buildings in the past. As a result of being built on the site of the former George Dock, the building required deeper than normal foundations and in total, some 35,000 tons of cement were used. Due to the building proximity to the River Mersey, extensive work was carried out during the development of the basement level in order to make sure it was water resistant. Asphalt was used extensively to coat the floors and walls of the basement, in order to make sure it stayed dry.

Internally, the building’s form is centered around a full height, octagonal hall that sits below the central dome. The hall has round, arched openings from the first floor upwards, providing large gallery spaces, whilst its floor is decorated with a mosaic depicting the points of a compass. Office spaces are located off long central corridors, which are decorated with white Calcutta Marble. A large portion of the building costs (approximately 25%) were spent on decorations and fittings; the inside of the building is lavishly decorated using expensive materials including mahogany from Spain and oak from Danzig for the woodwork, bronze for the floor furniture and fittings, and white marble for the floors and walls. One noted interior feature is the grey granite grand staircase, which is lined with stained glass windows adorned with images of Poseidon, anchors, ships bells and shells and well as dedications to countries of the British Empire including Singapore, South Africa, Canada and Australia. The grand nature of the inside of the building has seen it used as a film set in several productions, including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (TV series).

Throughout the building, there a numerous references to the sea and the maritime operations of both Liverpool and the British Empire. The main entrance gates are decorated with a globe supported by dolphins, while the cast iron gates and gate piers are decorated with mermaids, shells, anchors, and have shields with the initials “M.D. & H.B.”. The outside light fittings are designed such that the lights themselves appear to be held in the hands of the Roman God Neptune. Similarly, the lifts of building are also decorated with maritime references, in the form of gilded emblems representing the globe, seahorses and anchors. In the central hall, the frieze between the ground and first floor is adorned with the words of psalm 107: “They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters these see the works of the Lord and his wonders of the deep. Anno Domini MCMVII”

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Port of Liverpool Building

Architecture of Liverpool

References

Notes

^ “Liverpool museums – Liverpool: World Heritage City – The Three Graces of the world famous Liverpool Waterfront”. www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk. http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/exhibitions/worldheritagecity/ThreeGraces.asp. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 

^ “Downing – Commercial Portfolio”. www.downing.com. http://www.downing.com/commercial/showdetails.asp?recordid=71. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 

^ “Liverpool Commercial District Partnership (LCDP) – News – News Story”. www.liverpoolcdp.com. http://www.liverpoolcdp.com/news/shownews.asp?recordid=720. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 

^ “Mersey Docks & Harbour Board Building”. E Chambre Hardman Archives. http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=ConNarrative.187&chapterId=1487. Retrieved 2009-07-05. 

^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s “Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building”. National Museums Liverpool. http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/archive/displayGuide.aspx?sid=40&mode=html&sorStr=s_no ASC 0&serStr=&pgeInt=4&catStr=. Retrieved 1 February 2008. 

^ a b c d Sharples (2004), p67

^ a b Nicholls (2005), p11

^ Neild, Larry (2005-10-17). “Port of Liverpool building gets 20m facelift inside and out”. Liverpool Echo. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/capital-of-culture/capital-of-culture-liverpool-news/2005/10/17/port-of-liverpool-building-gets-20m-facelift-inside-and-out-100252-16258233/. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 

^ Nield, Larry (2005-10-06). “Plan for luxury flats in one of the Graces”. Liverpool Echo. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/capital-of-culture/capital-of-culture-liverpool-news/2005/10/06/plan-for-luxury-flats-in-one-of-the-graces-100252-16214668/. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 

^ Jones, Catherine (2008-01-09). “Covers set to come off the face of Grace”. Liverpool Echo. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/01/09/covers-set-to-come-off-the-face-of-grace-100252-20327600/. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 

^ Turnbull, Barry (2009-05-26). “Blitz survivor restored to glory”. Liverpool Daily Post. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/ldpbusiness/commercial-property-liverpool/2009/05/26/blitz-survivor-restored-to-glory-96026-23702223/. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 

^ a b c d e f Liverpool City Council (2005), p50

^ a b Hughes (1999), p134

^ a b Hughes (1999), p12

^ a b c d Sharples (2004), p68

^ a b Moscardini (2008), p11

^ a b Liverpool City Council (2005), p51

^ The Tourist’s Sherlock Holmes

Bibliography

Hughes, Quentin (1999). Liverpool: City of Architecture. The Bluecoat Press. ISBN 1-872568-21-1. 

Liverpool City Council (2005). Maritime Mercantile City: Liverpool. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 1-84631-006-7. 

Moscardini, Anthony (2008). Liverpool City Centre: Architecture and Heritage. The Bluecoat Press. ISBN 978-1904438649. 

Nicholls, Robert (2005). Liverpool: Curiosities of Merseyside. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-3984-3. 

Sharples, Joseph (2004). Pevsner Architectural Guides:Liverpool. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10258-5. 

External links

Port of Liverpool Building (Downing Information Page)

Port of Liverpool Building (Liverpool World Heritage Site)

Flickr

Records

Preceded by

Welsh Presbyterian Church

Tallest Building in Liverpool

1907  1911

Succeeded by

Royal Liver Building

Coordinates: 532415 25941 / 53.40417N 2.99472W / 53.40417; -2.99472

v  d  e

Buildings and structures in Liverpool, England

Highrises/ Skyscrapers

West Tower  Radio City Tower  Beetham Tower  Royal Liver Building  Alexandra Tower  Unity Residential  New Hall Place  1 Princes Dock  Post & Echo Building  Unity Commerical  Port of Liverpool Building  The Plaza  One Park West  Municipal Buildings  Thistle Atlantic Tower

Notable lowrises

Albert Dock  Alder Hey Children’s Hospital  Bank of England  Bluecoat Chambers  Britannia Adelphi Hotel  County Sessions House  Crowne Plaza LJLA  Cunard Building  Empire Theatre  Grand Central Hall  Great North Western Hotel  India Buildings  Liverpool Central Library  Liverpool Magistrates’ Court  Liverpool Town Hall  Liverpool Women’s Hospital  The Lyceum  Oriel Chambers  Philharmonic Hall  Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts  Royal Insurance Building  Royal Liverpool University Hospital  Speke Hall  Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse  St. George’s Hall  Tower Buildings  Victoria Building  Walker Art Gallery  White Star Building  World Museum Liverpool

Places of worship

Al-Rahma Mosque  Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas  Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas  Liverpool Cathedral  Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral  Princes Road Synagogue

Transportation

James Street station  Kingsway Tunnel  Liverpool Central station  Liverpool John Lennon Airport  Liverpool Lime Street station  Mersey Railway Tunnel  Moorfields station  Queensway Tunnel

Shopping complexes

Clayton Square Shopping Centre  Lewis’s  Liverpool One  Metquarter  New Mersey Shopping Park  St. John’s Shopping Centre

Sports venues and arenas

Anfield  Echo Arena Liverpool  Goodison Park  Liverpool Cricket Club  O2 Academy Liverpool  Wavertree Athletics Centre

Sculptures and monuments

Nelson Monument  Titanic Memorial  Wellington’s Column

Lists of buildings

Listed buildings in Liverpool  List of tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool

Categories: Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool | Edwardian architecture | 1907 architecture | Visitor attractions in Liverpool

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