The 1911 Royal Liver Building, one of Liverpool’s ‘Three Graces’, is interesting not only because of its iconic Liver Birds of the same name (one turned to the city watching the locals, the other turned to the Mersey looking out for those who have left), but because the way it was made. It was one of the first multi-storey buildings made using a steel-reinforced concrete structure; a method that was subsequently copied across the world, and became especially prevalent in New York. The extraordinary exterior and construction technique masks the fact that the Liver Building is in fact a humble office block. Visitor access is generally not permitted so you may have to admire from afar but internal tours can sometimes be booked to coincide with World Heritage open days.
