Cunard Building, Liverpool
The Cunard Building, a Grade II* listed structure, is one of Liverpool鈥檚 iconic Three Graces at the historic Pier Head. Alongside the Royal Liver Building and the Port of Liverpool Building, it forms part of the city鈥檚 waterfront, once recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the Maritime Mercantile City designation. Built between 1914 and 1917, the Cunard Building was designed by William Edward Willink and Philip Coldwell Thicknesse, combining influences from Italian Renaissance, Greek Revival, and Beaux-Arts architecture.
Inspired by Italian architectural luminaries such as Baldassare Peruzzi and the Farnese Palace, the building integrates classical elements like Greek details with the grandeur of American Beaux-Arts design. It features a rectangular form with nine bays on the shorter sides and seventeen on the longer sides, with main entrances highlighted by oak doors, fluted columns, and coffered ceilings. The exterior is clad in Portland stone, adorned with sculptures symbolizing Britannia, Neptune, the zodiac, and motifs of peace, war, and global races, reflecting the Cunard Line鈥檚 international scope.
Originally the headquarters of the Cunard Line until the 1960s, the building also housed facilities for trans-Atlantic passengers departing from Liverpool. Its construction on the site of the former George's Dock incorporated part of the original dock wall, visible in the basement. Today, it is owned by Liverpool City Council and hosts various public and private sector organizations, including The British Music Experience.
Inside, the ground floor features Italian and Greek marble, while the upper floors, with large windows and toplights, were designed for administrative use. Highlights include the first-class passenger lounge, an ornate boardroom, and a basement that once stored luggage and company property. Maritime remnants, like baggage racks and secure vaults, now preserve historical documents, including those of the RMS Queen Mary.
Standing diagonally across from Albion House, the former headquarters of the White Star Line, the Cunard Building is a testament to Liverpool鈥檚 maritime and architectural legacy, symbolizing the city鈥檚 role in global trade and trans-Atlantic travel.
Inspired by Italian architectural luminaries such as Baldassare Peruzzi and the Farnese Palace, the building integrates classical elements like Greek details with the grandeur of American Beaux-Arts design. It features a rectangular form with nine bays on the shorter sides and seventeen on the longer sides, with main entrances highlighted by oak doors, fluted columns, and coffered ceilings. The exterior is clad in Portland stone, adorned with sculptures symbolizing Britannia, Neptune, the zodiac, and motifs of peace, war, and global races, reflecting the Cunard Line鈥檚 international scope.
Originally the headquarters of the Cunard Line until the 1960s, the building also housed facilities for trans-Atlantic passengers departing from Liverpool. Its construction on the site of the former George's Dock incorporated part of the original dock wall, visible in the basement. Today, it is owned by Liverpool City Council and hosts various public and private sector organizations, including The British Music Experience.
Inside, the ground floor features Italian and Greek marble, while the upper floors, with large windows and toplights, were designed for administrative use. Highlights include the first-class passenger lounge, an ornate boardroom, and a basement that once stored luggage and company property. Maritime remnants, like baggage racks and secure vaults, now preserve historical documents, including those of the RMS Queen Mary.
Standing diagonally across from Albion House, the former headquarters of the White Star Line, the Cunard Building is a testament to Liverpool鈥檚 maritime and architectural legacy, symbolizing the city鈥檚 role in global trade and trans-Atlantic travel.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Liverpool. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Cunard Building on Map
Sight Name: Cunard Building
Sight Location: Liverpool, England (See walking tours in Liverpool)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Liverpool, England (See walking tours in Liverpool)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Liverpool, England
Create Your Own Walk in Liverpool
Creating your own self-guided walk in Liverpool is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part III
Now that you have been to a good number of spots around Liverpool associated with The Beatles, it is high time to explore the 鈥渆arly days鈥� of the Fab Four in their hometown and see where it all started.
One such place is Strawberry Field, immortalized in their song "Strawberry Fields Forever." It was a Salvation Army children's home, and although the original building no... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.3 Km or 3.3 Miles
One such place is Strawberry Field, immortalized in their song "Strawberry Fields Forever." It was a Salvation Army children's home, and although the original building no... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.3 Km or 3.3 Miles
Liverpool Historical Sites Walking Tour
For a city steeped in history and culture as much as Liverpool, it is only natural to have many historical sites illustrative of its glorious past. Three of Liverpool's most remarkable buildings, collectively known as the Three Graces of Liverpool, are situated in the Pier Head. These include the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building.
The... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
The... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part I
The hometown of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Star, Liverpool is called 鈥淭he Beatles Capital鈥� for a reason. The city saw the dawn of the Fabulous Four's musical career and is brimming with Beatlemania: Beatles-themed bars, restaurants, hotels, and other places associated with the iconic band.
The Beatles Story, an immersive museum, chronicles the Fab... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
The Beatles Story, an immersive museum, chronicles the Fab... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part II
Liverpool is permeated with The Beatles who seem to be everywhere! There are so many places associated with the band in the city: childhood homes, schools, bars... Some of them are rather unassuming, at a glance, and thus can be easily overlooked.
George Harrison's Birthplace, located at 12 Arnold Grove, is where the lead guitarist of The Beatles was born on February 25, 1943. Despite its... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
George Harrison's Birthplace, located at 12 Arnold Grove, is where the lead guitarist of The Beatles was born on February 25, 1943. Despite its... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Beatles Pub Crawl
Alright, so you're in Liverpool, the hometown of The Beatles, and you're thirsty. There are lots of pubs in Liverpool, all different in character, with some claiming that The Beatles drank or played there at some point.
Indeed, the lads performed in many small venues throughout the city, but the joints they usually played were not the ones they liked for their drinks. Now, if... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Indeed, the lads performed in many small venues throughout the city, but the joints they usually played were not the ones they liked for their drinks. Now, if... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Liverpool Introduction Walking Tour
Famously, the hometown (aka the 鈥渃apital鈥�) of the Beatles, Liverpool is more than just the Fab Four. Closely associated with the arts, music, culture, and architecture, as well as industrial innovation, the city is renowned for its multitude of historic landmarks, world-class sport arenas and shopping/entertainment. The abundance of art galleries, national museums and listed attractions in... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles