Once the tallest building in Europe, the iconic home of Royal Liver Insurance has been a defining feature of Liverpool’s skyline for more than a century. Built in 1911, the 90 meter tall building was unlike anything else in the country at the time. Its two clock towers feature clock faces larger than that of Big Ben’s, and the solid concrete structure casts a massive shadow over part of the city center. Today the building remains occupied by the insurance company and while tours are not available, seeing the building from the outside is a must for anyone interested in the local history and architecture of Liverpool.
The Royal Liver Building is an excellent example of early 20th-century building design. The design is closer to the skyscrapers of New York or Chicago than it is to the British and European buildings of the same period, which drew much attention to its construction. See the first reinforced concrete structure to be built in the UK, and the stunning art nouveau features of its design.
Look up to see the main attractions of the building. The two clock towers, towering almost 330 feet (100 meters) above Liverpool’s streets, are each adorned by a copper liver bird. Liver birds can be seen on many rooftops in Liverpool, and are the city’s emblem. The two on the Royal Liver Building are the biggest in the city, at over 18 feet (six meters) high, and are said to represent the identity of Liverpool. The Liverpool waterfront precinct is a great place to snap a photo of the building.
The Royal Liver Building is located on the Liverpool waterfront, in central Liverpool. Reach the building by metro, or cross the River Mersey by ferry to see the building against the city skyline.
