SINCE its completion in 1911, it would be fair to say that the Royal Liver Building has not only stood at the forefront of Liverpool’s commercial district, but has also become one of the most iconic buildings outside of London.
It represents much more than simply the head office of an insurance company – it is a symbol of Liverpool’s status as a truly international city and its position at the heart of global business.
Like Liverpool, the building has been able to adapt to the rapidly changing demands of businesses and compete in the office market.
The calibre of tenants the building has attracted speaks for itself. In addition to Royal London, other occupiers include Princes Foods, Grant Thornton, Deutsche Bank and Bank of New York. The building’s success is in no small part due to Walter Aubrey Thomas’s remarkable design. For example, individual floors offer almost 30,000 sq ft of virtually column-free space, allowing them to accommodate shifting work styles and advances in office design.
Moreover, the sheer scale of the building has meant it has been able to incorporate modern occupier requirements like raised access floors and comfort cooling.
Recent improvements have only made the building more attractive, with a comprehensive refurbishment of the common areas in a contemporary style that remains sympathetic with its historic features.
Visitors now enter the building through the imposing waterfront entrance, the atrium has been renovated and remodelled, and the office areas have been upgraded.
Having worked on the building with Royal Liver for many years and in several capacities, we now have the privilege of managing the next phase of refurbishment, including the external ironwork restoration scheme. This is more than simple repair and maintenance. We are recapturing the original grandeur of the ornate ironwork to the perimeter gates and railings – a process that requires a significant amount of specialist technical skill that will help restore it to its full former glory.
Overall, the Royal Liver Building is a symbol of the way in which Liverpool is adapting to the future while remaining fiercely proud of its heritage. 100 years on, it stands for everything that Liverpool was and that everything it has become, and we hope to have helped to ready it for another century as our city’s icon.
