The first phase of the project, which cost £970,000, involved the refurbishment of the main West Entrance and reception area, which incorporated a new glazed entrance and an accessible ramp.

Future work planned will also see the creation of a mezzanine floor designed to accommodate new office space.

Mr Alexander said: We were appointed to basically transform the image of the Royal Liver Building.

The first phase designs have been closely developed with the local conservation department and English Heritage, ensuring a sensitive approach with meticulous attention to detail.

The result is a quality and sophisticated response which befits the prestige and stature of the building.

The buildings status presented difficulties as it restricted the changes that could be made by the projects architects.

Mr Alexander said: We were heavily compromised in what we could do because of its listed status. We have introduced new elements of modernism by using free-standing structures.

We were allowed to cover over some of the decorative marble. For example behind the very modern reception desk is a glass structure.

We also used floor tiles to cover over the floor marble which took away some of the excessiveness.

But the past has remained a key part of the designs.

There were a number of memorial plaques which commemorated those who fell in the two world wars, he added. We felt we should honour those people and we created two sculptural elements.

In the top we carved all of the names of the people who were on the plaques. It became an important thing to us.