Liverpool has its fair share of majestic buildings.
The city centre is overflowing with stunning landmarks, many of which have played an important part in the city's past.
The Liverpool Municipal Buildings were designed by John Weightman and built in the 1860s. It is well known for its pyramidal spire, which is visible throughout the city.
The Dale Street building also has 16 sandstone statues on its walls representing Liverpool’s arts, sciences and industries. At its heart is what Historic England calls a “striking basilica-like main hall”.
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It was built on behalf of the council to accommodate the growing number of administrative staff working for the authority.
The Grade II* listed building remained as offices for the council until the local authority moved out in 2017 and into its current offices in the Cunard Building.
Explaining why the building is listed, Historic England said: “Its vast scale and high-quality eclectic design with Gothic, classical and French influences has produced a building with a commanding street presence, suitably reflecting the importance of the port city.”
And it adds: “The high-quality interior retains a wealth of features reflecting the wealth and status of Liverpool Corporation, including decorative vaulted and coffered ceilings, friezes and marble fireplaces depicting reliefs of Liver birds and Queen Victoria.”
The striking building was then sold by the council in 2017 to Singapore-based property firm Fragrance Group. Land Registry documents show the council sold a 250-year lease on the building to Fragrance UK-Liverpool Ltd for £10.2m on April 28 in 2017.
This spring the iconic building will start its next chapter as a luxury hotel, restaurant, bar and spa. Opening in May, The Municipal Liverpool hotel is joining Accor Group's boutique brand.
Managed by RBH Hospitality Management, the hotel will span four floors of the listed building and feature 179 rooms with design features that promise to pay homage to the building's rich heritage of French and Italian influences.
Many existing materials and features will be refreshed and reminders of its past life as a council building will remain. These features will include vintage phones and library-style desk doors. The historic clock tower has also been carefully restored.
Speaking about the new hotel, general manager Deirdre Billing said, “I am delighted to write a new story for the Municipal building, bringing back its local heritage into a hotel and introducing the luxury brand MGallery to Liverpool. It has been a joy to see this iconic building brought back to life and we can’t wait to welcome guests into the space and experience its charm for themselves. The hotel is an invitation to change the pace, take time and have a real break."
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