The Aloft Liverpool Hotel, formerly the Royal Insurance Building, is a historic building located at 1-9 North John Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It was built as the head office of the Royal Insurance company.
The building was constructed between 1896 and 1903 as the head office of the Royal Insurance Company (Since 1996 part of the ″RSA Insurance Group″). The design was the result of a competition won by James F. Doyle in 1895. The assessor for the competition was Norman Shaw, who was retained as an advisory architect for the project, but it is uncertain what part he played in it.[1] The building is constructed around a steel frame and is the earliest example of this type of construction in the United Kingdom.[1][2] It ceased to be used by the late 1980s, and its condition deteriorated so much that it was placed on the Buildings at Risk Register of English Heritage.[3]
In 2013 its freehold was bought by Liverpool City Council, and it was converted it into a hotel.[4] It opened as the Aloft Liverpool Hotel on 29 October 2014.[5] At the 20 years of the register, the renovation of the Royal Insurance Building was named as one of the successful rescues.[6]
In 2021, Fragrance Group, a Singapore-based property business, bought the property together with the freehold title and continued to operate the hotel as Aloft Hotel by Marriott.[7]
Architectureedit
Perspective drawing of the building.
Constructed around a steel frame, the building is in Portland stone, with a granite basement and ground floor.[2] Its architecture is described as "sumptuous Neo-Baroque on the grandest scale".[1] The building is in four storeys with a basement and an attic. Its long front on North John Street has eleven bays, with three bays on Dale Street. The ground floor and basement are rusticated. The windows are three-light sash windows with round heads. Those on the first floor have Gibbs surrounds and iron balconies. In the second and third floors the windows are recessed behind a Doriccolonnade and entablature. In the attic are dormers. Some of these have architraves, keystones, and either segmental or triangular pediments; the others are flat-topped and contain casement windows. The entrance is on the second bay from the left in North John Street. The doorway has Doric columns and is round-headed. The first floor contains a round-headed window surrounded by a portico with a broken segmental pediment containing carved figures. Above this bay rises a three-stage campanile bearing an octagonal cupola with a gilded dome. On the Dale Street façade is a Venetian window.[2] The second floor contains a frieze designed by C. J. Allen depicting themes relating to insurance.[1] At the corners of this front are octagonal turrets with cupolas and finials. Between the turrets at attic level are three round-headed windows with rusticated Ionicpilasters, an entablature, and an iron balcony.[2]
The interior contains the former General Office on the ground floor which, because of the steel frame, is free from any columns. Above this, the former Board Room has a tunnel vault. Both rooms are decorated with stucco in 17th-century style.[1] The building is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.[2]
There is an earlier Royal Insurance Building, dating from 1839, in nearby Queen Avenue, also Grade II* listed.[8]
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Not to be confused with Royal Insurance Building Queen Avenue Liverpool The Aloft Liverpool Hotel formerly the Royal Insurance Building is a historic building located at 1 9 North John Street Liverpool Merseyside England It was built as the head office of the Royal Insurance company Royal Insurance BuildingRoyal Insurance BuildingLocation1 9 North John Street Liverpool Merseyside EnglandCoordinates53 24 27 N 2 59 21 W 53 4074 N 2 9893 W 53 4074 2 9893OS grid referenceSJ 343 905Built1896 1903Built forRoyal Insurance CompanyArchitectJames F DoyleArchitectural style s Neo BaroqueListed Building Grade II Designated28 June 1952Reference no 1070582Location in Liverpool Contents 1 History 2 Architecture 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory editThe building was constructed between 1896 and 1903 as the head office of the Royal Insurance Company Since 1996 part of the RSA Insurance Group The design was the result of a competition won by James F Doyle in 1895 The assessor for the competition was Norman Shaw who was retained as an advisory architect for the project but it is uncertain what part he played in it 1 The building is constructed around a steel frame and is the earliest example of this type of construction in the United Kingdom 1 2 It ceased to be used by the late 1980s and its condition deteriorated so much that it was placed on the Buildings at Risk Register of English Heritage 3 In 2013 its freehold was bought by Liverpool City Council and it was converted it into a hotel 4 It opened as the Aloft Liverpool Hotel on 29 October 2014 5 At the 20 years of the register the renovation of the Royal Insurance Building was named as one of the successful rescues 6 In 2021 Fragrance Group a Singapore based property business bought the property together with the freehold title and continued to operate the hotel as Aloft Hotel by Marriott 7 Architecture edit nbsp Perspective drawing of the building Constructed around a steel frame the building is in Portland stone with a granite basement and ground floor 2 Its architecture is described as sumptuous Neo Baroque on the grandest scale 1 The building is in four storeys with a basement and an attic Its long front on North John Street has eleven bays with three bays on Dale Street The ground floor and basement are rusticated The windows are three light sash windows with round heads Those on the first floor have Gibbs surrounds and iron balconies In the second and third floors the windows are recessed behind a Doric colonnade and entablature In the attic are dormers Some of these have architraves keystones and either segmental or triangular pediments the others are flat topped and contain casement windows The entrance is on the second bay from the left in North John Street The doorway has Doric columns and is round headed The first floor contains a round headed window surrounded by a portico with a broken segmental pediment containing carved figures Above this bay rises a three stage campanile bearing an octagonal cupola with a gilded dome On the Dale Street facade is a Venetian window 2 The second floor contains a frieze designed by C J Allen depicting themes relating to insurance 1 At the corners of this front are octagonal turrets with cupolas and finials Between the turrets at attic level are three round headed windows with rusticated Ionic pilasters an entablature and an iron balcony 2 The interior contains the former General Office on the ground floor which because of the steel frame is free from any columns Above this the former Board Room has a tunnel vault Both rooms are decorated with stucco in 17th century style 1 The building is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building 2 There is an earlier Royal Insurance Building dating from 1839 in nearby Queen Avenue also Grade II listed 8 See also editGrade II listed buildings in Merseyside Architecture of Liverpool nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Insurance Building North John Street References edit a b c d e Pollard Richard Pevsner Nikolaus 2006 Lancashire Liverpool and the South West The Buildings of England New Haven and London Yale University Press p 328 ISBN 0 300 10910 5 a b c d e Historic England Royal Insurance Building 1070582 National Heritage List for England retrieved 22 August 2011 Number of heritage buildings at risk at new low Liverpool Express 2 July 2015 Retrieved 9 February 2021 Liverpool Royal Insurance building to be turned into hotel BBC News 19 April 2013 retrieved 12 September 2013 Liverpool s latest deluxe hotel Aloft opens and is sold out for its first weekend Liverpool Echo 29 October 2014 retrieved 19 April 2020 Former Royal Insurance Building Liverpool Historic England retrieved 1 January 2019 Aloft Liverpool hotel sold to Fragrance Group The Caterer 6 December 2021 Retrieved 7 August 2023 Historic England Details from listed building database 1365827 National Heritage List for England retrieved 19 November 2011External links editOfficial website Official chain website Liverpool Architecture Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Royal Insurance Building Liverpool amp oldid 1175562965, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
