It is one of the most distinctive buildings in Liverpool, but the Philharmonic Hall used to look very different.
The Art Deco structure on Hope Street celebrated its 84th birthday this week. Finished in 1939 at a cost of £120,000 (around £8m in today's money), the concert hall we know today is not the first to stand on its site.
In July 1933, a fire destroyed the original hall, which had opened in 1849. When it opened, The Times' reporter described the hall as "one of the finest and best adapted to music that I ever entered".
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It was the home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society until the fire in 1933. Believed to have started between the double roofs, it spread through the entire building, destroying the roof and soon consuming the entire building.
At the time, the ECHO reported that the flames, visible for miles around, reflected in the sky itself and drew "sightseers" in Crosby and Garston. It's said that a crowd of 10,000 people watched as hundreds of firefighters fought a brave but ultimately futile battle against the flames.
On the fire itself, the ECHO reported the following day: "The heat was so intense, a number of would-be spectators who had climbed to the roof of a church hall opposite the building were forced to vacate their position." Two boys were said to have plummeted 20-feet into a basement after falling from the vantage point they had taken, but fortunately were not seriously hurt.
The report continued: "The scene, despite its sadness, was one of amazing beauty of colouring. The rich blue of the summer sky, and the huge floating clouds of smoke tinged to a rosy pink by the flames," adding: "At 1am the crowd still stood silent and motionless, fascinated by the danger and splendour."
Fortunately, the fire claimed no casualties. The damage was assessed the day after and those investigating found the building had been almost completely gutted. The main organ, instruments and the music library had been destroyed.
Thankfully, over 200 pictures and paintings were rescued from the flames, including a tablet commemorating the seven musicians who played the hymn Nearer My God To Thee while the Titanic went down. The day after the fire, it was also announced that a new Philharmonic Hall would be built.
Work began four years after the fire. Liverpudlian architect Herbert J. Rowse was commissioned to design the new hall in the Art Deco style of 'Streamline Moderne'. Mr Rowse is also known for his work on India Buildings and the entrances to the Queensway tunnel.
The hall opened with a concert in June 1939. At the time, the Guardian's report said: "The magnificent compliment Liverpool has paid to the cause of music in England almost takes one's breath away... a hall of great size, noble proportions, and up-to-date appointments... ready to take its place among the most eminent homes of musical culture in this or any other country".
84 years later, the grand and elegant Philharmonic Hall remains one of the country's finest music venues and a great example of Art Deco architecture.
