The built environment of Liverpool contains over 2,500 listed buildings (of which 26 are Grade I listed and 85 are Grade II* listed). It is the inheritance of high-minded public spirit since the late 18th century, largely with Dissenter impetus, resulting in more public sculpture than in any UK city aside from Westminster, more listed buildings than any city apart from London and, surprisingly, more Georgian houses than the city of Bath. Many well-known architects are represented in Liverpool, including Peter Ellis, Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, John Foster, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Frederick Gibberd.

Liverpool’s wealth as a port city enabled the construction of two large cathedrals, both dating from the 20th century. The Anglican Cathedral, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, has the longest nave, largest organ and heaviest and highest peal of bells in the world. The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral was initially planned to be even larger; of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ design, only the crypt was completed. The cathedral was eventually built to a simpler design by Sir Frederick Gibberd; while this is on a smaller scale than Lutyens’ original design, it still manages to incorporate the largest panel of stained glass in the world.

In 2004 Liverpool’s waterfront was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the justification being the city’s importance in the development of the world’s trading system and dock technology. The docks are central to Liverpool’s history, with arguably the most well-known being Albert Dock: the first enclosed, non-combustible dock warehouse system in the world and the first structure in Britain to be built entirely of cast iron, brick and stone.

Restored in the 1980s, it is the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in Britain. Part of the old dock complex is now the home to the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Museum of Liverpool Life and the Tate Liverpool. Other relics of the dock system include the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, which at the time of its construction in 1901, was the world’s largest building.

The Pier Head is arguably the most famous image of Liverpool, the location of the Three Graces, three of Liverpool’s most recognisable buildings. The first is the Royal Liver Building, built in the early 1900s and surmounted by two bronze domes with a Liver Bird (the symbol of Liverpool) on each. The second is the Cunard Building, the former headquarters of the Cunard shipping company. The third is the Port of Liverpool Building, the former home of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board which regulated the city’s docks.

Away from the river, the area around William Brown Street has been labelled the city’s ‘Cultural Quarter’, owing to the presence of the William Brown Library, Walker Art Gallery and World Museum Liverpool, just three of Liverpool’s many neo-classical buildings. Nearby is St. George’s Hall, perhaps the most impressive of these neo-classical buildings, was built to serve both as a concert hall and as the city’s law courts. Also located in this area are Wellington’s Column and the Seble Fountain.

Liverpool’s Town Hall dates from 1754 and has a beautifully-designed interior.

The term Red Brick University, applied to many British universities dating from a similar period, was inspired by the University of Liverpool’s Victoria Building, noted for its clock tower.

Some of Liverpool’s landmarks are better known for their oddness rather than for their role. Williamson’s tunnels are architectually unique as being the largest underground folly in the world. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms are noteworthy for their ornate Victorian toilets, which have become a tourist attraction in their own right.

Theatres

Liverpool has a strong history of performing arts and the number of theatres mirrors this.
Empire
Everyman
Neptune
Philharmonic Hall
The Playhouse
Royal Court
Unity

Ritual sites

Liverpool’s status as a port resulted in a rich history of religious diversity. This is reflected in the equally diverse collection of religious buildings, in addition to the two cathedrals already mentioned. The parish church of Liverpool is the Our Lady and St Nicholas, colloquially known as “the sailors church”, which has existed near the waterfront since 1257.

Others include the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas (built in the Byzantine style), the Gustav Adolfus Kyrka (the Swedish Seamen’s Church, reminiscent of nordic styles) and the spectacular Princes Road Synagogue. Liverpool also had one of the earliest mosques in Britain, founded in 1887 by William Abdullah Quilliam, a lawyer who had converted to Islam. Currently the city’s main mosque is the Al-Rahma mosque.