Cunard Building, one the three grand buildings on the Pier Head on the waterfront of Liverpool in the UK, could become new cruise terminal facility in the city, Cruise Liverpool said in a statement.
At the moment, turn around calls are handed in a temporary structure near a floating jetty that is located a few hundred yards downstream on the River Mersey. The floating jetty can handle very large ships, such as Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 of 151,400 gross tons, but since it was originally designed for just calls rather than turnarounds, a small temporary structure was built adjacent to the jetty that is poorly suited to handle big ships
“The proposal is part of a cost-saving scheme which will see the city council acquire the leasehold of the Grade II* listed building and dispose of its interest in two other city centre sites,” Cruise Liverpool said.
The building was designed by William Willink and Philip Thicknesse and constructed between 1914 and 1917. It housed the headquarters of the Cunard Line until the 1960s and it was listed by English Heritage in 1965. Passenger facilities included waiting rooms, booking hall, luggage storage and a currency exchange.
Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool , said in the statement: “This is an iconic building on the city’s world famous waterfront and this opportunity to purchase the leasehold will deliver significant benefits and secure the future of the building…. And it will be fitting to return the building to its original function as a place where cruise liner journeys begin and end.”
Cunard Building, together with Royal Liver Building and the head office of Mersey Docks & Harbour Company form the classic part of the Liverpool Pier Head, one of the most famous shipping landmarks. Major redevelopment has taken place in the area in recent years, e.g. through the construction of a modernistic museum building, as part of major urban regeneration investment, totalling at almost £1.0 billion.
