Prudential Assurance Building
Encyclopedia
The Prudential Assurance Building is a Grade II listed, Victorian
Gothic revival
style office building located on Dale Street
in the centre of Liverpool
, England
.
It was designed by local architect Alfred Waterhouse
(also noted for the Natural History Museum
and Manchester Town Hall
) and was constructed in under a year in the mid-19th century. The building was initially built for loan provider Prudential
as their new regional offices in Liverpool. The building is noted for its significant use of red Architectural terracotta
and brick and its tower which was added to the building by the architects son Paul Waterhouse in 1905. Exterior tiles between the first and second floor of the building read Prudential Assurance Buildings, the pluralism of this is somewhat inaccurate as it is in fact only one building.
Alongside the likes of Liverpool Town Hall
, Bank of England Building, India Buildings
, White Star Building
and the Tower Buildings
. The Prudential Assurance Building is amongst the most architecturally important buildings in the commercial district which is one of the six areas that constitute Liverpool's status
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Gothic revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style office building located on Dale Street
Dale Street
Dale Street Liverpool, England is a street in the Commercial Centre conservation area. The street together with Castle Street, Old Hall Street, Victoria Street and Water Street are the main commercial streets and occupy area of the medieval town of Liverpool...
in the centre of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It was designed by local architect Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
(also noted for the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
and Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. The building functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments....
) and was constructed in under a year in the mid-19th century. The building was initially built for loan provider Prudential
Prudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...
as their new regional offices in Liverpool. The building is noted for its significant use of red Architectural terracotta
Architectural terracotta
Terracotta, in its unglazed form, became fashionable as an architectural ceramic construction material in England in the 1860s, and in the United States in the 1870s. It was generally used to supplement brick and tiles of similar colour in late Victorian buildings.It had been used before this in...
and brick and its tower which was added to the building by the architects son Paul Waterhouse in 1905. Exterior tiles between the first and second floor of the building read Prudential Assurance Buildings, the pluralism of this is somewhat inaccurate as it is in fact only one building.
Alongside the likes of Liverpool Town Hall
Liverpool Town Hall
Liverpool Town Hall stands in High Street at its junction with Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, described in the National Heritage List for England as "one of the finest...
, Bank of England Building, India Buildings
India Buildings
India Buildings on Water Street, Liverpool, England, was built between 1924 and 1932 for Alfred Holt's Blue Funnel Line, the architect was Herbert Rowse. It was designed to be converted into a warehouse if needed and replaced an earlier building of the same name...
, White Star Building
Albion House, Liverpool
Albion House is a Grade II* listed building located in Liverpool, England. It was constructed between 1896 and 1898 and is positioned on the corner of James Street and the Strand across from the Pier Head.-History:...
and the Tower Buildings
Tower Buildings, Liverpool
Tower Buildings is a former office block in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It stands with its longer front on the east side of the Strand, and extends round the corner into Water Street. The building is located directly opposite the Royal Liver Building, which was designed by the...
. The Prudential Assurance Building is amongst the most architecturally important buildings in the commercial district which is one of the six areas that constitute Liverpool's status
Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City
The Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site in Liverpool, England. It comprises six locations in the city centre of Liverpool including the Pier Head, Albert Dock and William Brown Street, and includes many of the city's most famous landmarks.UNESCO received...
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
See also
- Architecture of LiverpoolArchitecture of LiverpoolThe Architecture of Liverpool is rooted in the city's development and history, as a major port city within the United Kingdom. It encompasses a wide range of architectural styles and has predominantly developed over the past 200 years, although several buildings date back as far at the 13th...
- Liverpool Maritime Mercantile CityLiverpool Maritime Mercantile CityThe Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site in Liverpool, England. It comprises six locations in the city centre of Liverpool including the Pier Head, Albert Dock and William Brown Street, and includes many of the city's most famous landmarks.UNESCO received...
- Listed buildings in Liverpool
- Dale StreetDale StreetDale Street Liverpool, England is a street in the Commercial Centre conservation area. The street together with Castle Street, Old Hall Street, Victoria Street and Water Street are the main commercial streets and occupy area of the medieval town of Liverpool...