Jump to content

Oriel Chambers

Coordinates: 53°24′22″N 2°59′35″W / 53.406°N 2.993°W / 53.406; -2.993
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 75.182.3.105 (talk) at 05:21, 25 November 2009. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

53°24′22″N 2°59′35″W / 53.406°N 2.993°W / 53.406; -2.993

Oriel Chambers
Map
General information
Architectural styleModernist architecture
Town or cityLiverpool
CountryEngland
Construction started1864
Design and construction
Architect(s)Peter Ellis

Oriel Chambers is a Grade 1 Listed Building located on Water Street, near to the town hall in Liverpool, England. The building, a work by Peter Ellis, was built in 1864 and comprises 43,000 sq ft (4,000 m2) set over five floors.[1] The building was the world's first metal framed glass curtain walled building.

Oriel Chambers, and the architect's only other known building at 16 Cook Street, are amongst the city's precursors of modernist architecture.[2] However its simplified forms and large windows meant that the building initially courted controversy, being described as "an agglomeration of great glass bubbles" and even "a great abortion"[1] which led to the disheartened Ellis abandoning architecture.

Today it looks a little different, combining its period architecture with a 1950s extension, which was added to the building after it was bombed during World War II.[1]

In more recent times, the building was purchased from DCT Developments by Bruntwood for just over £5 million on 17 March 2006.[1] Bruntwood was then expected to spend 2007/08 refurbishing the building at a cost of £750,000.[citation needed]

The building's primary tenant is a set of barristers' chambers, which have been in occupation in various parts of the building since 1965.[1]

The building, and 16 Cook Street, featured in the first episode of the ITV (Granada / Tyne Tees) television series Grundy's Northern Pride, looking at John Grundy's favourite buildings in the north of England, aired on 9 January 2007.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "History". Oriel Chambers. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
  2. ^ "Liverpool Conservation Areas". Walking Books. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oriel_Chambers&oldid=327810903"