| Royal Liver Building | |
|---|---|
 Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool | |
 Interactive map of the Royal Liver Building area | |
| Alternative names |
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| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Architectural style | Edwardian Baroque style |
| Location | Pier Head,Liverpool,England,United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 53°24′21″N2°59′45″W / 53.4058°N 2.9958°W /53.4058; -2.9958 |
| Construction started | 1908 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Cost | £800,000 |
| Owner | Princes Group |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 98.2 m (322 ft)[1] |
| Roof | 50.9 m (167 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 13 |
| Lifts/elevators | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Walter Aubrey Thomas |
| Structural engineer | L. G. Mouchel & Partners |
| Main contractor | Edmund Nuttall Limited |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Royal Liver Building |
| Designated | 12 July 1966 |
| Reference no. | 1356370 |
| Website | |
| https://royalliverbuilding.co.uk | |
| References | |
| [2][3][4][5] | |
TheRoyal Liver Building/ˈlaɪvər/ is aGrade Ilisted building inLiverpool, England. It is located at thePier Head and along with the neighbouringCunard Building andPort of Liverpool Building is one of Liverpool'sThree Graces, which line the city's waterfront. It was also part of Liverpool's formerlyUNESCO-designatedWorld HeritageMaritime Mercantile City.
Opened in 1911, the building was the purpose-built home ofRoyal Liver Assurance. The Royal Liver Building is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city of Liverpool with its two fabledLiver birds, which watch over the city and the sea.
In 1907,Royal Liver Assurance was in need for larger premises and approved the construction of a new head office. The foundation stone was laid on 11 May 1908. The building was designed byWalter Aubrey Thomas in theEdwardian Baroque style and built byEdmund Nuttall Limited.[6] The building is an early example of a building constructed usingreinforced concrete,[7] and given the building's radical design was considered by some to "be impossible to build".[8] The structural engineering advisor wasL. G. Mouchel & Partners.[9] The building was officially opened byLord Sheffield on 19 July 1911.[8][10]
In 1953, electronic chimes were installed to serve as a memorial to the members of Royal Liver Assurance who died during the two World Wars.[11]
The building remained the head office for Royal Liver Assurance until its merger withRoyal London Group in 2011.[12]
In October 2016, the building was put up for sale for the first time in its history.[13] The owner instructedCBRE Group to list the sale with a guide price of more than £40m.[14] In February 2017, Luxembourg-based investment group, Corestate Capital, bought the building for £48 million along withEverton F.C. majority shareholderFarhad Moshiri. Moshiri planned to run Everton's affairs from the building and have his own office to include a view of the new stadium onBramley Moore Dock.[15]
In 2019, as part of a larger repositioning of the building, a visitor attraction was opened giving the public the chance to tour the West Clock Tower of the building on a regular basis for the first time in its then 108 year history.[16][17]
The Liver Building was sold again in 2025, with long-term tenantPrinces Group purchasing the building for £60 million.[18]
The building overlooks theRiver Mersey from its waterfront location on thePier Head and forms one of the 'Three Graces' along with thePort of Liverpool Building and theCunard Building. It has ten storeys, including two in the roof.[19] An 18 ft (5.5 m) copperLiver bird stands on each clock tower, designed byCarl Bernard Bartels.[20]
The building is crowned by a pair ofclock towers. The clocks were made by Gent and Co. of Leicester.[21] The clock faces are 7.6 m (25 ft) in diameter, larger than those of London's famous landmark, theGreat Westminster Clock, holding the distinction of being the largest electronically driven clocks in the UK.[22]The four clock faces have no numerals, only facets indicating the 12 hours. These are disposed as three on the riverside tower, facing west/north/south, the remaining one on the landward tower facing east. There is only one mechanism driving the faces on both of the towers. They were originally named George clocks, because they were started at the precise time thatKing George V was crowned on 22 June 1911.[23]
Tenants in the Royal Liver Building include:
