St George's Hall Liverpool, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

SJ 3490 NE ST. GEORGE'S PLATEAU L1

49/1037 St. George's Hall 28.6.52

G.V. I

Public hall and law courts. 1841-56, designed by H. L. Elmes engineer Sir Robert Rawlinson, completed by C. R. Cockerell. The form approximates to a Classical temple of the Corinthian order, raised on a platform and approached by flights of steps, but the ensemble is planned as a series of aligned compartments, clothed with four different porticos, the blind hamper of the central hall rising over the continuous entablature. East facade has projecting central Corinthian colonnade of 16 fluted columns flanked by 6-bay loggias with unfluted Corinthian antae, the lower parts of which are filled with relief scenes of allegorical figures with Greek key band over. End bays flanked by angle pilasters, with fielded panels. Central entrance in architrave with frieze and consoled cornice, side entrances have architraves. Two 4-light mullioned windows. Entablature and parapet. Central hamper has rusticated quoins and entablature. North facade has 9-bay semi- circular projection with attached colonnade on basement with 3 entrances in architraves, cornices break through top of basement. Entrances flanked by mermaids and tritons carrying cornucopia-lamps. Windows have battered architraves and casements. Flanking bays as above. West facade. 3 storeys, with basement to 15-bay projecting centre. Round windows to basement, others sashed, most with glazing bars. Colonnade of unfluted antae has windows with battered shouldered architraves between lower parts. Upper loggia with blind end bays, open to the sky, large architraved windows behind with casements. 7 bays to each side with 3 storeys of sashed windows in architraves, those to 2nd floor with consoled cornices and panelled sill course. End bays as above. South facade has octastyle pedimented portico with 2 rows of columns, behind which is a large entrance in architrave with consoled cornice, flanked by triton lamps. End bays as above. The sculptures on the pediment have been removed. Interior has central hall flanked by balconies over corridors, courts at each end. North and south entrance hall, that to north has concert hall above, that to south has C20 court room fittings. The interior is of unrivalled splendour, largely as a result of Cockerell's decoration, that of the Concert Hall being particularly fine. 6 Iron lamp standards under colonnade and 2 under portico; cast iron with 3 dolphins twined round base. One of the great buildings of its era in Europe. For a description, see B.o.E. South Lancashire, and for appreciation J. Mordaunt Crook,The Greek Revival and David Watkin The Life and Work of C.R.Cockerell, 1974.

Listing NGR: SJ3493190656