The Royal Liver Building, home to Royal Liver Insurance, was once the tallest building in Europe and has been an iconic feature of the Liverpool skyline since 1911. The 90-metre (295-foot) building was once the only tower of its kind in the United Kingdom, with its two clock faces even exceeding the size of Big Ben’s in London. The solid concrete tower casts an impressively long shadow over the Liverpool city centre for much of the day. The building is still used as a base for the insurance company, so tours are not permitted, but it’s still worth a visit to see the building from the outside.
The Royal Liver Building is classically designed in the early 20th-century style, but more resembles the skyscrapers of New York and Chicago than other towers of the time in the United Kingdom or Europe. It was the first reinforced concrete structure to be constructed in the U.K.
Stand below the building and gaze up to see its ornate art nouveau detailing and two spectacular clock towers. The towers, reaching heights of nearly 100 metres (328 feet) above street level, are both topped with a copper liver bird. Liver birds are the emblem of the city and can be seen adorning many rooftops around Liverpool. The two liver birds on the Royal Liver towers are easily the biggest in the city, reaching 6 metres (19.5 feet) in height. It is said that the birds are representative of the city’s identity. Snap a photo of the building from a commanding angle on the Albert Dock waterfront or catch a ride on a River Mersey ferry to get a great photo of the building with its city backdrop.
The Royal Liver Building is centrally located in the heart of Liverpool, near the waterfront. The area is well connected with the city’s metro system.
