Royal Insurance Building, Liverpool

The Royal Insurance Building can be found on North John Street, in the historic heart of Liverpool’s Victorian city centre. As the name suggests, it was constructed as a national head office for the city’s successful Royal Insurance Company. The company moved out in 1980, and sadly the building is still disused. Having deteriorated since its closure, it was placed on English Heritage’s Buildings at Risk Register. There is hope for the grand old building yet, however, as plans are afoot to convert it into a hotel.

The Royal Insurance Building took seven years to complete, and opened in 1903. The architect, James Doyle, won an open contest and was assisted by famous Scottish architect Norman Shaw, who chose the winning design. Fashioned from Portland stone supported by a steel frame - and one of the earliest buildings in the city to use this technique - the building stands out from the subtly European influenced architecture that surrounds it.

Broadly described as Neo-Baroque, the design combines several different styles, including Greek Doric colonnades, sash windows and quirky domed towers at the top of the building. A Grade II listed building that won high praise from observers upon its completion, the Royal Insurance building replaced an earlier headquarters, which still stands on nearby Queen Avenue.