STONE CENTRAL’ S AWARD- WINNING CONSERVATION OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING
Rising proudly above the heart of Liverpool, the Grade II * listed Municipal Building has stood since 1868 as one of the city’ s most distinguished Victorian landmarks.
Main Municipal Buildings Picture By 瑞丽江的河水- Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:// commons. wikimedia. org / w / index. php? curid = 154534234
Its ornate façades, 60-metre clock tower and sculptural details have long represented Liverpool’ s civic identity. When the time came for its conservation and restoration, Stone Central was contracted to bring this architectural treasure back to life.
The project comprised of the careful restoration of all four façades, the clock tower, the building’ s grotesques and its collection of 18 sandstone figures, each one symbolising an aspect of the arts, sciences or industries that shaped Liverpool’ s growth. Collectively, the restoration demanded precision, sensitivity and deep respect for the structure’ s historic fabric.
This exceptional level of craftsmanship led to Stone Central being‘ Commended’ in the Natural Stone Awards 2024, in the Repair and Restoration( Commercial) category— recognition featured on page 27. Natural Stone Awards
The conservation process began with a full Thermatech clean of the building’ s exterior to gently remove decades of grime. Loose or friable masonry was then secured to ensure the building was ready for the more intricate work to begin.
A comprehensive dilapidation survey was conducted by our surveyor’ s working in close collaboration with architects Falconer Chester Hall and structural engineers Curtins. From this, a detailed schedule of repairs was developed, mapping out each area of required intervention— item by item.
Major restoration works included the replacement of decorative urns along the rooftop balustrade, new balusters for both the tower and the ground-floor balustrading, and extensive masonry repairs. Many areas of stone had suffered from spalling due to corroded ferrous fixings. These were carefully removed, and new stone indents, shaped and installed using traditional methods, were seamlessly integrated into the building’ s elevations.
10- REFURB & RESTORE