Editing Port of Liverpool Building (section)

==Architectural design==
[[Image:Port of Liverpool Building Dome.jpg|thumb|right|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 the oldest of the three large [[Pier Head]] buildings and the architectural features were designed to be reflective of Liverpool's importance to the maintenance of the [[British Empire]].<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/><ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p50">Liverpool City Council (2005), p50</ref> However, the building that exists today is actually a modified version of the originally chosen design.<ref name=p134>Hughes (1999), p134</ref> 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 the design was significantly revised to give it the symmetrical look it has today.<ref name="Sharples (2004), p67"/> Notably, the initial design did not include the large dome that sits so prominently above the building today. Inspired by an unused design for [[Liverpool Cathedral|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.<ref name="Nicholls (2005), p11">Nicholls (2005), p11</ref><ref name="Hughes (1999), p12">Hughes (1999), p12</ref><ref name=p68>Sharples (2004), p68</ref> This decision, however, was not without controversy, as many board members believed that it was not part of the Port Authority's duty to "beautify the town".<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/><ref name="Moscardini (2008), p11">Moscardini (2008), p11</ref> Nonetheless, it was added to the design, becoming the focal point of the building itself.<ref name=p68>Sharples (2004), p68</ref>

Designed in [[Edwardian Baroque]] style, the Port of Liverpool Building's structural form has been likened to those of [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance palaces]].<ref name="Moscardini (2008), p11"/> Approximately {{convert|264|by|216|ft|m}} in size, the building rises to {{convert|220|ft|m}} in height,<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/> making it the [[List of tallest buildings in Liverpool|fourteenth tallest building in the city]]. Covering five floors, the main body of the building is 80&nbsp;ft tall to the [[cornice]].<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/><ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p50"/> 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.<ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p50"/> Each corner of the building is [[Cant (architecture)|canted]] and has a tall hexagonal [[Turret (architecture)|turret]] that is topped by a stone [[cupola]], which would have originally been crowned by a [[lantern]].<ref name=p68>Sharples (2004), p68</ref> Because the building has a large central dome, it has been compared architecturally to many other buildings throughout the world, including [[Belfast City Hall]],<ref name=p68/> the [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]],<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building" /> [[St. Peter's Basilica]]<ref name=p134/> and [[St. Paul's Cathedral]].<ref name="Hughes (1999), p12"/>

[[Image:Port of Liverpool Building 6.jpg|thumb|left|upright|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's Dock]], the building required deeper foundations than normal and in total some 35,000 tons of concrete were used.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/> Due to the building's 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.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/>

Internally, the building's form centres on 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]].<ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p50"/> Office spaces are located off long central corridors, which are decorated with white Calacatta [[Marble]].<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/> 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 Gdańsk ([[Danzig]]) for the woodwork, [[bronze]] for the floor furniture and fittings, and [[white marble]] for the floors and walls.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/> One noted interior feature is the [[Granite|grey granite]] grand staircase, which is lined with stained glass windows adorned with images of [[Poseidon]], anchors, ships bells and shells and dedications to countries of the British Empire including Singapore, South Africa, Canada and Australia.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/><ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p51">Liverpool City Council (2005), p51</ref> The grand nature of the inside of the building's interior has meant that it has been used as a film set in several productions, including ''[[The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (TV series)|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes]]''. episode "The Blue Carbuncle"<ref>[http://my.core.com/~jcnash/sherlock_places.html The Tourist's Sherlock Holmes]</ref>

Throughout the building, there are 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 and anchors, and have shields with the initials "M.D. & H.B." (Mersey Docks & Harbour Board).<ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p51"/>

The outside light fittings are designed such that the lights themselves appear to be held in the hands of the Roman God [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]].<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building" /> Similarly, the lifts are also decorated with maritime references, in the form of [[Gilding|gilded]] emblems representing the globe, [[seahorse]]s and anchors.<ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p50" /> 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 in the deep. Anno Domini MCMVII" (1907).<ref name="Liverpool City Council (2005), p50" />