AN ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR OF LIVERPOOL

Herbert James Rowse and Arnold Thornley won the completion for India Buildings in 1923, the assessor was Giles Gilbert Scott.  India buildings [1] was designed and completed between 1924 and 1930, it was during this time that Rowse also won the competition to build Martins Bank, which is located on the opposite side of Water Street [2]. This nine-storey building commissioned by Alfred Holt & Co. shipping company consists of offices, shops, a bank, a post office and access to James Street underground train station.  It takes up a whole block and its main entrance is on Water Street.1 Liverpool Heritage Bureau suggest that design was treated with speculation therefore it was cautiously designed to be flexible for different uses: 

“It was built between 1924 and 1932 at the cost of £1.25 million for Holt’s Blue Funnel Line, and is one of the largest office blocks in the City.  Such a huge provision of offices being considered highly speculative at the time, the building was so designed that it could be converted into a warehouse.” 2

There was no need for such caution as the building proved to be a success and continues to function today with its mixed use facilities, Sharples describes the building:

“Steel-framed, cliff-like Portland stone walls, Italian Renaissance detail. Arched entrances in Brunswick Street and Water Street open into spacious elevator halls, vaulted and lined with Travertine, linked by a noble tunnel-vaulted arcade of shops through the centre” 3

The building is still the same today and the vaulted arcade [3] that Sharples describes is equally as successful, lined with a few shops including a barber shop and a tailors.

This is actually the second India Buildings on the site, in 1833 the foundation stone was laid for the first, this was more of a collection of buildings on a street rather than a singular block.  The street in question was called Chorley Street and it ran between the two rows of buildings along the same line that the arcade takes today.  These buildings were demolished and replaced after discussions regarding changing the street layouts in the area.4 This is possibly why todays building name is pluralised, even though physically it is a singular form. Sharples and Stonard also make reference to this earlier India Buildings: 

“India Buildings shows the fullest development of the speculative office block in Liverpool.  Incorporating a bank, post office, shopping arcade and underground railway access, it is an extraordinarily sophisticated descendant of George Holt’s pioneering India Buildings, which first rose on part of the same site almost a century earlier.” 5

The India Buildings inclusive of Holt’s Arcade was assigned Grade II Listed status in 1975. 6

India buildings architectural style is often perceived as North American, which is understandably influenced by Rowse’s travelling of Canada and the United States.7 Both Rowse and Thornley studied under Charles Herbert Reilly at the Liverpool School of Architecture, were Reilly promoted American Classicism: 

“On Merseyside, the years of Reilly’s professorship saw a definite move away from opulent Edwardian Classicism, typified by Briggs and Thornley’s Mersey Docks and Harbour Board building of 1907, towards a more restrained classicism of the American kind.” 8

Sharples describes Rowse as one of the more significant architects to adopt Reilly’s influence: 

“Among Reilly’s graduates who pursued their careers in Liverpool the most important was Rowse. His India Buildings and headquarters for Martins Bank are among the outstanding commercial building of their date in the country, and are designed in direct emulation of contemporary American models.” 9 

Rowse was known for his amazing attention to detail, as we know that at Martins Bank building he designed every item,10 he was also a perfectionist, proudly saying ‘Never present an alternative; it shows you have not solved your problem.’11 Richmond quotes Reilly’s comments on India Buildings in A World in One School:

“Reilly considered the building ‘would not disgrace Fifth Avenue; indeed, it would sit there very happily and those who know most of modern architecture will know this is very high praise’.” 12

In 1941 during the Second World War the building was extensively damaged and was later reconstructed under Rowse’s supervision.  As Quentin Hughes explains: 

“The office building occupies an entire city block and is pierced by a spectacular vaulted arcade lined with small shops.  It is constructed of a steel frame and faced with Portland stone.  It was badly damaged by German bombers but Rowse gladly stepped in and repaired the damage.” 13

The entrance has been modified slightly today due to building regulations and access requirements a ramp has been installed outside, cleverly the designer made use of the sloping terrain at Water Street.14 above the entrance are intricately designed bronze lamps [4], these were designed by the Bromsgrove Guild, they also designed the Liver birds that sit on top of the clocktowers on the Liver Building.15