Port of Liverpool Building

Regeneration: Port of Liverpool Building
Client: Amtrak Real Estate

Challenge

The grade II listed Port of Liverpool building is one of the city’s most recognisable historic buildings. Together with the grade II listed Cunard Building and the grade I listed Royal Liver Building, these buildings are known as the “Three Graces”, epitomising the commercial prowess and international prestige of Liverpool.

The refurbishment and upgrade of the Port of Liverpool building to provide high-quality office space came with the dual challenge of meeting current standards and regulations while ensuring the historic fabric and character of the building could be preserved and respected.

Approach

The specialist team undertook a detailed physical analysis of the existing building fabric and extensive research into its original design, composition and historical evolution. This insight underpinned the proposals for refurbishment and reconfiguration of the building’s interior spaces.

A comprehensive heritage statement was prepared for submission alongside the planning and listed building applications. This dealt responsively with both the direct impacts to the building and the wider heritage resource.

Our knowledgeable and pragmatic approach enabled effective problem-solving in relation to the adaptation of the building and its heritage requirements.

Outcome

The meticulous approach to understanding the significance of the various aspects of the building’s fabric, together with direction on the appropriate level of informative detail in submission documents, secured the approval of the scheme with minimal additional information required post-submission in respect of heritage matters.