Editing Port of Liverpool Building

{{Short description|Building located in Liverpool, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox building
| name             = Port of Liverpool Building
| former_names     = Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Building
| image            = [[File:Port of Liverpool Building - 2024-06-15.jpg|240px]]
| location         = {{Flagicon|UK}} [[Pier Head]], [[Liverpool]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
| map_type         = United Kingdom Liverpool Central
| map_alt          = 
| map_caption      = Location in Liverpool
| coordinates      = {{coord|53.4043|-2.9949|display=inline}}
| height           = {{convert|220|ft|m}}
| architect        = Sir [[Arnold Thornely]], F.B. Hobbs, Briggs and Wolstenholme
| building_type    = [[Office#Office buildings|Office Building]]
| architectural_style = [[Edwardian Baroque]]
| structural_system = [[Reinforced concrete]] with [[Portland stone]] cladding
| cost             = £250,000
| owner            = Downing
| current_tenants  = Multiple tenants including [[Rathbones]], [[DHL Express|DHL]] and [[Hapag Lloyd]]
| start_date       = 1903
| completion_date  = 1907
| floor_area       = 
| main_contractor  = William Brown & Son
| website          = https://portofliverpoolbuilding.com/
}}

The '''Port of Liverpool Building''' (formerly Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Offices, more commonly known as the Dock Office) is a [[Grade II*]] [[listed building]] in [[Liverpool]], England. It is located at the [[Pier Head]] and, along with the neighbouring [[Royal Liver Building]] and [[Cunard Building]], is one of Liverpool's ''Three Graces,'' which line the city's waterfront.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/exhibitions/worldheritagecity/ThreeGraces.asp |title=Liverpool museums – Liverpool: World Heritage City – The Three Graces of the world famous Liverpool Waterfront |publisher=liverpoolmuseums.org.uk |access-date=3 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325160523/http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/exhibitions/worldheritagecity/ThreeGraces.asp |archive-date=25 March 2010 }}</ref> It is also part of Liverpool's formerly [[UNESCO]]-designated [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage]] [[Maritime Mercantile City]].

The building was designed by Sir [[Arnold Thornely]] and F.B. Hobbs and was developed in collaboration with Briggs and Wolstenholme. It was constructed between 1904 and 1907, with a [[reinforced concrete]] frame that is clad in [[Portland stone]]. The building was the headquarters of the [[Mersey Docks and Harbour Board]] (MDHB) for 87 years, from 1907 to 1994, when the company relocated to new premises at [[Seaforth Dock]]. In 2001 it was sold to Downing, a Liverpool-based property developer, and between 2006 and 2009 underwent a major £10m restoration that restored many original features of the building.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.downing.com/commercial/showdetails.asp?recordid=71 |title=Downing – Commercial Portfolio |publisher=downing.com |access-date=3 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324135848/http://www.downing.com/commercial/showdetails.asp?recordid=71 |archive-date=24 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolcdp.com/news/shownews.asp?recordid=720 |title=Liverpool Commercial District Partnership (LCDP) – News – News Story |publisher=liverpoolcdp.com |access-date=3 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007172509/http://www.liverpoolcdp.com/news/shownews.asp?recordid=720 |archive-date=7 October 2011 }}</ref>

The Port of Liverpool Building is in the [[Edwardian Baroque]] style and is noted for the large dome that sits atop it, acting as the focal point of the building. It is approximately rectangular in shape with [[Cant (architecture)|canted]] corners that are topped with stone [[cupola]]s. At {{convert|220|ft|m}} the building was the tallest building in Liverpool when built, and as of 2022 is the [[List of tallest buildings in Liverpool|fourteenth tallest]]. Like the neighbouring Cunard Building, it is noted for the ornamental detail both on the inside and out, and in particular for the many maritime references and expensive decorative furnishings.

==History==
In 1898 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mersey Docks & Harbour Board Building |publisher=[[E Chambre Hardman|E Chambre Hardman Archives]] |url=http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=ConNarrative.187&chapterId=1487 |access-date=5 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222054908/http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=ConNarrative.187&chapterId=1487 |archive-date=22 February 2012 }}</ref> 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 Customs House.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building">{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/archive/displayGuide.aspx?sid=40&mode=html&sorStr=s_no%20ASC%200&serStr=&pgeInt=4&catStr=|title=Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building|work=National Museums Liverpool|access-date=1 February 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608062802/http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/archive/displayGuide.aspx?sid=40&mode=html&sorStr=s_no%20ASC%200&serStr=&pgeInt=4&catStr=|archive-date=8 June 2011}}</ref>

[[Image:Port of Liverpool Building.jpg|thumb|left|A view from the [[River Mersey|Mersey]] from before 1914, showing a gap on the left, where the [[Cunard Building]] is now located]]
[[File:Port of Liverpool Building 10.jpg|thumb|left|The Port of Liverpool Building]]
In 1900 a committee was formed by the MDHB to plan and develop a new building for the company.<ref name="Sharples (2004), p67">Sharples (2004), p67</ref> 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.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/> In total, seven entries were submitted, with the winning design being that of the architects Sir Arnold Thornely 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.<ref name="Sharples (2004), p67"/>

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.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool 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 {{convert|30|–|40|ft|m|1}} below ground level.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/> The building's frame was built from [[reinforced concrete]], which was then clad in [[Portland stone]],<ref name="Sharples (2004), p67"/> a design that meant the building was more fire resistant than with other structural forms.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/> It was completed in 1907 at a cost of approximately £250,000,<ref name="Nicholls (2005), p11"/> 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.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building"/>

During [[World War II]], Liverpool's importance as a major port saw it become a target for the [[Luftwaffe]] and during the [[Liverpool Blitz|May Blitz]] of 1941, a [[Strategic bombing during World War II|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.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building" />

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.<ref name="Maritime Archives & Library: The Port of Liverpool Building" /> However, the company remained the owners of the building until 2001 when it was acquired by Downing, a Liverpool-based property developer.<ref name="Echo">{{cite web |last1=McDonough |first1=Tony |title=Port of Liverpool Building is sold in a deal worth more than £27m |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business/port-liverpool-building-sold-deal-10501800 |website=Echo |date=25 November 2015 |access-date=31 July 2018}}</ref>

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 provide a small parade of restaurants, cafes and shops.<ref>{{cite news |last=Neild |first=Larry |title=Port of Liverpool building gets £20m facelift inside and out |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=17 October 2005 |url=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/ |access-date=10 July 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nield |first=Larry |title=Plan for luxury flats in one of the Graces |newspaper=[[Liverpool Echo]] |date=6 October 2005 |url=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/ |access-date=10 July 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Catherine |title=Covers set to come off the face of Grace |newspaper=[[Liverpool Echo]] |date=9 January 2008 |url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/01/09/covers-set-to-come-off-the-face-of-grace-100252-20327600/ |access-date=10 July 2009}}</ref> The £10m restoration project was fully completed in early 2009, when the last [[scaffolding]] was removed from the outside of the building and {{convert|20000|sqft|m2|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} of refurbished office space was completed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Turnbull |first=Barry |title=Blitz survivor restored to glory |newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]] |date=26 May 2009 |url=http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/ldpbusiness/commercial-property-liverpool/2009/05/26/blitz-survivor-restored-to-glory-96026-23702223/ |access-date=10 July 2009}}</ref>

==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" />

==See also==
{{commons category|Port of Liverpool Building}}
* [[Architecture of Liverpool]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

;Bibliography
* {{cite book |last=Hughes |first=Quentin |title=Liverpool: City of Architecture |publisher=[[Bluecoat Press|The Bluecoat Press]] |year=1999 |isbn=1-872568-21-1}}
*{{cite book |author=Liverpool City Council |title=Maritime Mercantile City: Liverpool |publisher=[[Liverpool University Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=1-84631-006-7}}
*{{cite book |last=Moscardini |first=Anthony |title=Liverpool City Centre: Architecture and Heritage |publisher=[[The Bluecoat Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-904438-64-9}}
*{{cite book |last=Nicholls |first=Robert |title=Liverpool: Curiosities of Merseyside |publisher=[[The History Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7509-3984-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Sharples |first=Joseph |title=Pevsner Architectural Guides:Liverpool |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |year=2004 |isbn=0-300-10258-5}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100324135848/http://www.downing.com/commercial/showdetails.asp?recordid=71 Port of Liverpool Building (Downing Information Page)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090429041501/http://www.liverpoolworldheritage.com/visitingthewhs/areas/pierhead/portofliverpool.asp Port of Liverpool Building (Liverpool World Heritage Site)]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekablue/sets/72157622359605890/ Flickr]

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{{s-bef|before=[[Welsh Presbyterian Church (Liverpool)|Welsh Presbyterian Church]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool|Tallest Building in Liverpool]]|years=1907&nbsp;– 1911}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Royal Liver Building]]}}
{{end}}

{{coord|53.4043|-2.9949|region:GB_type:landmark|display=title}}
{{Liverpool B&S}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Port of Liverpool Building}}
[[Category:Port of Liverpool]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Restored and conserved buildings]]
[[Category:Edwardian architecture in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 1907]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Domes in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Baroque Revival architecture in the United Kingdom]]