Offices: 59 King Street Manchester

“A lofty building in the Italian style has been erected in King-street, Manchester, for the Liverpool and London Insurance Company.”

INSURANCE OFFICES IN MANCHESTER - Two imposing edifices in Upper King Street are rapidly approaching completion, and will, in a short time, be ready for occupation. They are situated very near to each other, and their relative merits may be readily compared. In the London and Liverpool Insurance Offices a classic design has been carried out, from the designs of Mr Walters, the architect of the Free‑Trade Hall, and a number of other large buildings in Manchester. And in the Royal Insurance Offices, Gothic has been adopted, the architect being Mr Alfred Waterhouse, who, it will be remembered, was the successful competitor of the Assize Courts, which are now being carried out from his designs, and under his superintendence. The building erected for the Liverpool and London is the larger of the two, and has considerably more frontage. It is three stories high, the upper one being more ornamental than the two lower. Originality does not appear to have been attempted, except in the balcony in the third story, where we find a design of a decidedly Gothic character and though ingenious and good, yet it does not seem to harmonise with the other portions of the facade. The first story is rather plain, but substantial in appearance; the windows are square‑headed and without architraves or pediments. In the second story the windows have architraves carried round them, but no entablature. In the third story columns of polished granite are introduced. Festoons of carved flowers and fruit enrich the frieze of the upper entablatures, and a balustrade surmounts the whole. The walls are of light‑coloured stone. The floors are fire‑proof. [Building News 6 June 1862 p389-390].

Reference    Building News 6 June 1862 p389-390
Reference    Builder 26 April 1862 Page 299
Reference    Manchester Courier 19 April 1862 Page
Reference    Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal, Vol. 28, May 1865, p. 130