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Liverpool is a city bursting with breathtaking buildings and stunning structures to view in and around the city. With so many to choose from, discover our list of must see magnificent structures that make up many of the beautiful sights of one wonderful city.
1. The Port of Liverpool Building
Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1DP
Labelled as a Grade II listed building, one third of the famous Three Graces, stands the astonishing Port of Liverpool Building. Located at the Pier Head and, along with the neighboring Royal Liver Building and Cunard Building It is also part of Liverpool’s UNESCO-designated World Heritage Maritime Mercantile City.
Planned in the Edwardian Baroque style, the Port of Liverpool Building is quite massive in its physical structure, particularly noted for its large, impressive dome, which acts as the pivotal point of the rectangular building. Standing 220 feet tall, the Port of Liverpool Building is hierarchical fourteenth in the list of tallest buildings in Liverpool. Constructed between 1904 and 1907, the Port of Liverpool Building, originally Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Head Office for 87 years, was more commonly known as the ‘Dock Office’.
2. Bluecoat Chambers
School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3B
Situated in the heart of the city centre in Church Street retail area, is the distinctive Bluecoat Chambers. Built in 1716-17 as a charity school, Bluecoat Chambers in School Lane is the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool. Following the Liverpool Blue Coat School’s move to another site in 1906, the building was rented from 1907 onwards by the Sandon Studios Society.
Its sophisticated Queen Anne style architecture, cobbled front courtyard and beautiful ‘secret garden’ make it amongst the top visitor attractions in the region. Designated as a Grade I Listed building, this architectural masterpiece is almost 300 years old. This stunning building has been a centre for the arts and a meeting place for the people of Merseyside for the past century.
3. Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Cathedral House, Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, L3 5TQ
Officially recognized as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Situated at Cathedral house is the wonderful Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. This Grade II building is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. Known to locals as the “Catholic Cathedral”, other nicknames for the building include “Paddy’s Wigwam”, “The Pope’s Launching Pad”, and “The Mersey Funnel”. The Liverpool metropolitan is the biggest Catholic cathedral in England, and together with its sister Cathedral at the other end of Hope Street plays an significant part in the life of the City of Liverpool and Merseyside.
4. Liverpool Town Hall
High Street, Liverpool, L2 3SW
Liverpool Town Hall stands proud in the High Street, at its connection with Dale Street, Castle Street and Water Street. Documented in the National Heritage as a labelled Grade I listed building, Liverpool Town Hall is known as one of the finest surviving 18th Century town halls. This good-looking building is considered probably the grandest suite of civic rooms in the country, and an outstanding and comprehensive example of late Georgian decoration.
The Hall has accommodated countless significant events, including numerous Freedom of the City ceremonies, Royal visits from home and abroad, an iconic homecoming for the Beatles on the front balcony and undoubtedly much more still to come. Liverpool Town Hall is the home-based of The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, situated within Liverpool’s prestigious World Heritage Site. Built in 1749 and designed by John Wood, this breath-taking structure consists of Minton tile floor displaying the arms of Liverpool. The walls are ornamented with murals created in 1909, showing scenes of the city’s history from King John creating Liverpool as a free port to Liverpool as a centre of culture, commerce, education and progress.
5. The Royal Liver Building
Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1DP
Perpendicular tall overlooking the River Mersey, dominating the city’s renowned Waterfront and part of Liverpool’s stunning skyline is The Royal Liver Building. Situated at the Pier Head alongside its neighbours Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building, The Royal Liver Building is known as one of the Three Graces. This Magnificent edifice is a Grade I listed and is part of Liverpool’s UNESCO designated World Heritage Maritime Mercantile City. 2011 was a special year for the Royal Liver Building celebrating 100 years. The Building’s crowning moment came with the visit of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh on 1st December 2011.
6. The Cunard Building
Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1DP
Planned by William Edward Willink and Philip Coldwell Thicknesse, constructed between 1914 and 1917 The Cunard Buildings is share of the Three Graces that dominate the city’s Waterfront. The structure’s style is a mix of Italian Renaissance and Greek revival, and its development has been particularly influenced by Italian palace design. The building is noted for the ornate sculptures that adorn its sides.
This magnificent building was the headquarters of the Cunard Line until the 1960s, and the building still retains the name of its original tenants. It was also home to Cunard’s passenger facilities for trans-Atlantic journeys that departed from Liverpool. Today, the building is owned by the Merseyside Pension Fund and is home to numerous public and private sector organisations. It is located directly opposite from Albion House, the former headquarters of White Star Line.
7. St George’s Hall
St George’s Place, Liverpool, L1 1JJ
Situated on Lime Street opposite Lime Street Station, The magnificent St George’s Hall provides an amazing welcome to Liverpool. The Great hall is a labelled Grade I listed building and retains a Neoclassical style, which contains concert halls and law courts. Located on east side of the hall is St George’s Plateau, and the west side is St John’s Gardens. This Victorian built land-mark venue opened in 1854, is an countenance of the assurance and ambition the Victorians had for the city, personifying the Concert Room and the grandeur of The Great Hall with spectacular architecture. St George’s Hall is also included in the William Brown Street conservation area.
